What Will Be Will Be
by MaeWest06
Summary: (Miracle) Here's what caused the feud between OC and Mac back in 76 and see how it impacted 1980.
1. Prologue

Prologue

2000

Jack's POV

Can you believe it's been 20 years since a bunch of college kids won the Olympic gold? The whole team is getting together for a "reunion." I can tell you for fact there is one guy I don't want to see—Robbie McClanahan.

Sure, we had made amends during those seven long, excruciating months of training for the Games, but deep down, we'll never forgive each other for one thing. One very important thing by the name of Emily Morrison.


	2. Flat Tires and Run ins

Same disclaimer as before. I would have posted this last night or earlier today except I had a little plumbing work to do. Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter 1

Jack's POV

1976

Figures I'd get a flat on the way to the damn game. Tonight was the first game of the play-offs against the Minnesota Gophers, and I was probably gonna be late because I can't find the damn jack to get this tire off.

"Hey, need some help?" a pretty brunette in an Impala asked. Yeah, like some chick is gonna be able to help me out.

"Nah, I'm fine," I told her. I'm not admitting defeat to a girl.

"You don't look like you're fine," she stated, pulling over in front of my car. She got out and walked over to where I was standing, searching my trunk. "Nice flat."

"Yeah, thanks," I muttered, throwing aside books and gear.

"So, are you sure you don't need help?" she pressed. I just shook my head, wishing she'd jump back in her car and go away. "I've got a jack in my car. Let me get it."

"I don't need your help to change my tire," I said defiantly. She completely dismissed my statement and walked over to jack up the right back end of my car.

"What the hell are you, a mechanic?" I asked jokingly.

"Yeah, actually I am," she replied with a smile. "I'm Emily Morrison," she added, extending her hand, which I shook briefly.

"Jack O'Callahan."

"Hockey player?"

"How'd you know?"

"Oh, the hockey stick and the hockey helmet and the hockey bag was a slight giveaway."

"Oh, yeah. I was on my way to a game and my tire just blew. First play-off game is tonight."

"Who are you playing?" Emily asked, as she positioned the spare tire over the spokes of the wheel.

"University of Minnesota. Gonna cream 'em," I stated, a smile spread across my face.

"Cocky much?" Emily asked almost indignantly, as she screwed on last of the lug nuts.

"Oh come on, a Boston girl like you is getting mad over that?" I exclaimed.

"First off, not a Boston girl. Second, I'm not getting mad just because I said you're cocky," Emily said, standing up to roll the tire over to the trunk.

"So, where are you from?" I asked, placing the flat down.

"St. Paul," Emily told me, walking away. "By the way, you're welcome."

With that, she drove away.

This girl was something else. Gorgeous for one, but that mouth could administer a mean case of verbal whiplash. She seemed so sweet and innocent when she first pulled up. Maybe I shouldn't have insulted "her team." Bet she's dating one of the players, though. No girl would care that much about hockey if she weren't dating a player.

Whatever though. Why should I get myself worked up?

I saw Emily at the game up in the stands, rooting on Rob McClanahan. Now I've been called a cocky bastard more times than I can count, but this guy just oozed asshole.

After the game, I ran into Emily again. I didn't mean to, but we just kinda ran into each other.

"Well, this must be fate," Emily said with a laugh as I pulled her up off the floor. Did I mention that it was literally a run-in?

"Yeah, sorry about that," I replied, a hint of shyness in my voice. Was that actually me who said that?

"Not a problem," Emily said, brushing it off. "So, good game."

"Yeah, except for McClanahan," I muttered. "That guy just loves to throw the cheap shots."

"And apparently you do too," she responded defensively.

"You two dating or something?" I asked.

"Yeah. Got a problem with that?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Not a problem with that. With him, yes. I was just trying to figure out why you'd defend that jerk."

"He isn't a jerk. You just don't like him because he's prettier than you," Emily joked.

"Oh yeah, that's it. It has nothing to do with him knocking me down every two seconds," I said, rolling my eyes at her.

"Don't you roll those blue eyes at me, O'Callahan," Emily said, sounding like a third grade teacher.

"Yes, ma'am. But don't call me that. It's OC," I told her, as McClanahan walked over, jealously wrapping his arms around Emily's waist.

"Talking to the enemy for a reason?" he asked her as he eyed me.

"OC and I just kinda sorta bumped into each other," Emily told him as she pulled out of his grasp.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm not trying to steal your girl" I said, rolling my eyes at him before walking away.

"Like hell" he muttered under his breath. "Stay away from that guy," he warned her.


	3. A Little Ice Cream and a Few Kisses

Chapter 2

Emily's POV

What could be so bad about Jack O'Callahan? Sure, he was a Boston boy, but he seemed nice enough. A little cocky, but nice. And, oh boy, those blue eyes. A girl could get lost for weeks in those eyes.

What the hell am I talking about? I'm with Mac, right? So, I shouldn't be thinking about another guy. Except Jack's kind of like forbidden fruit, and I want a taste. Only tricky part is how to go about that.

Luckily for me, Jack took care of that one. See, I went with Mac to practice the next day. And wouldn't you know that the Boston guys had the ice before them. After they'd cleared the ice I figured they would have left. But no, some of them decided to stick around. Guess who was one of them.

I was sitting in the stands when Jack walked up behind me and covered my eyes with his hands.

"Guess who?" he said, attempting to disguise his voice.

"Santa?" I asked, pulling at his hands. Truth was, I wanted to see if Robbie was looking in my direction.

"Hmm, close," Jack answered with a laugh as he sat dangerously close next to me. "But I'm better than Santa."

"Keep telling yourself that Boston boy. Whatever gets you through the day," I told him, elbowing him in the ribs. "Ya know, I'm not 'allowed' to see you."

"Yeah, and you strike me as the kind of girl who listens to orders given by a guy," Jack retorted.

"Very observant," I mused. "Look, I really like Robbie, and I'm very good at messing this kind of thing up. And I'm trying my damnedest not to do that. However, you are making that very difficult."

"I just want to be friends," Jack stated, throwing his hands up in surrender, or to show me that he didn't have his fingers crossed. "I thought it was okay for friends to hang out."

"I didn't know we were friends. I mean, changing your flat and then being knocked to the ground by you doesn't seal a friendship."

"True, but I don't know. I just figured, why not give it a try? Dare to be different, Morrison," Jack said with a wink.

"How is hanging out with you daring to be different?" I questioned, truly puzzled by his statement.

"I don't know. It just sounded good in my head," Jack replied with a laugh. And what a nice laugh. "Look, come with me, we'll get some ice cream and work on this whole being friends thing."

"Known me less than 24 hours and you've already found my weakness," I told him. "One thing though."

"What's that?"

"How's it gonna look if I leave here with you?" I inquired. "I mean, Robbie's right down there, and I'm pretty sure he's been watching us."

"I'll leave first, then you leave like ten minutes…no, make that three minutes later," Jack suggested.

"I don't know, O'Callahan. You know we're gonna get caught," I said uneasily.

"Worried?"

"More for you than for me," I said, standing up.

"I'm supposed to leave first," Jack replied, standing up and following me.

"Robbie wasn't looking," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "I figured the coast was clear. Plus, you're buying me ice cream. How could I not leave?"

"Who said anything about buying?" Jack asked himself, thinking I didn't hear it.

I'm sitting in a park, eating ice cream with Jack O'Callahan, the guy my boyfriend has deemed a mortal enemy. Yeah, that works.

"You okay?" Jack asked, nudging me lightly, but not lightly enough to keep me from dropping a spoonful of ice cream in my lap.

"Damnit. Yeah I'm fine," I answered, frustratingly scrubbing my pant leg with a paper napkin until it fell apart.

"I didn't mean to scare you or anything," Jack said, apologetically.

"No, it's fine. Really, don't worry about it," I said, looking up to meet his eyes. A slight giggle escaped my lips, which I tried to mask, but to no avail.

"What's so funny?" Jack inquired.

"You've got ice cream on your chin," I told him, suppressing a laugh.

"May I have a napkin, you napkin hog?" he asked, looking around for more.

"Sorry, this was the last one," I replied, holding up the tattered paper. "Might just have to use your sleeve."

"I guess so," he said, using the back of his hand, but not getting it all.

"Let me, ya big baby," I said, moving my hand up to his chin to wipe away the remaining milky liquid. I think my hand may have lingered there for too long, though. Before I knew it, Jack's lips were meshed with mine, and I wasn't pulling away. Forbidden fruit definitely tastes sweet.

"I'm sorry," Jack whispered as he pulled away.

"Yeah, me too," I replied sheepishly, as I looked down at my shoes. As I pulled my head back up, I happened to notice a familiar car across the way. "Oh shit, not good."

"What's not good?" Jack questioned.

"See that brown car across the street?" Jack nodded. "That's Buzz Schneider's car, which means he's around somewhere. If he saw us kiss, he's gonna go right to Robbie."

"Maybe he didn't," Jack offered, wrapping a strong arm around my shoulders, as I sat there, head in hands. "I'll get you back to the hotel."

"Thanks, Jack," I responded, as he pulled me up off the bench before moving to his car.

We rode in silence all the way back. When he pulled up, first surveying to make sure no Minnesota hockey players would beat the hell out of him, I finally spoke.

"I'm sorry for freaking out like that," I told him with a slight laugh.

"No, I shouldn't have kissed the girlfriend of the guy who wants to kill me," Jack replied, placing his hand on mine. I leaned in a softly captured his lips with mine. "What was that for?"

"I figured I should get that out of my system," I explained before getting out.


	4. Keep Your Head Up

Chapter 3

Robbie's POV

I walked into the locker room before the final playoff game to find a good bunch of my teammates surrounding Buzz Schneider. I would swear to you they only started whispering when they heard me walk in. Yeah, that's comforting.

"Buzzy, what's going on?" I inquired warily as I approached the group.

"Umm, can I talk to you in the hall?" Buzz asked nervously, as he pulled me by the arm away from the team. "Look, there's no easy way to say this, so I'm just gonna say it. I saw Emily with Jack O'Callahan yesterday afternoon."

"What the hell was she doing with him? I told her to stay away from him," I seethed, clenching my hands into tight fists. I was about ready to punch the first thing I saw.

"Maybe you should talk to Emma about this," Buzz offered, backing away. Poor guy probably thought I was about to hit him. Can't shoot the messenger though.

"No, I want to know this before I talk to Emma. God knows she'll twist the truth," I spat out. "Please man, you gotta tell me what you saw."

"I saw him kiss her," Buzz whispered, flinching.

That unexpected news was like a swift, hard punch in the gut. My girlfriend cheated on me with a rival. Would it have been better if it were with a friend? Probably not, but at least that could be worked out. This was with O'Callahan. The guy hated me and I hated him.

"Thanks Buzz," I said quietly, trying my hardest to give him somewhat of a smile, just so he knew things were okay, but I couldn't even muster up a grin. I just walked into the locker room and got dressed.

* * *

We stepped out onto the ice, and I immediately caught a glimpse of Emily. She seemed…distracted. As if something were plaguing her conscience. Good, she should feel that way, though.

What is it with these Boston guys? They always looks like they're ready to maul your head off every time. O'Callahan was attempting to make eye contact with Emily whenever he thought I wasn't looking. That's it. He's going down tonight. I don't care what I have to do.

The whole night was full of cheap shots and penalty minutes. O'Callahan and I were at it the whole time. Surprisingly, he wasn't as aggressive as I would have expected. Don't get me wrong, this guy is king of the cheap shot. Maybe he felt bad for kissing my girl or something. Who knows, who cares.

As soon as the third period started, I made my move. I got up close to him, and made it look like he knocked me out. Lame yes, but effective.

"You're out of here!" the ref stated, pulling O'Callahan away by the back of his jersey.

"What the hell was that? I didn't do nothin to him! This is ridiculous!" Jack shouted and protested all the way to the locker room.

"Keep your head up next time!" I called after him.

I looked up at Emily who had a look of shock imprinted on her face. I wasn't sure it if was because I had been "knocked out" or if it was because Jack had been thrown out. Whatever it was, she wasn't happy, and left immediately.

* * *

Emily's POV

How the hell could Jack do that? I honestly thought things had been placated between us, and then he pulls this. I will definitely give that boy a piece of my mind…if I can find him.

"Emma!" I heard yelled behind me in a thick Boston accent. I whipped around to see Jack standing at the end of the hallway.

"What the hell was that?" I asked, charging towards him.

"I don't know what your boy's problem is, but he just got me knocked out of the damn game," Jack replied angrily, completely oblivious to the fact that I was mad at _him_, not Robbie.

"You knocked him out cold, OC, and now you're getting mad that you were ejected? You're lucky that's all you got," I yelled.

"I didn't do a damn thing to him," Jack defended.

"Well, then, explain to me why you got tossed out and not him," I inquired, but he didn't answer. He just stared at the floor.

"Look, I'm sorry. I know I was throwing cheap shots all night too, but I didn't get him kicked out of the game. And he had no reason to do it," Jack answered, never making eye contact with me.

"If he had no reason, then why would he do it?" I asked defensively. "Ya know what, I don't want to know. Just leave me alone."

With that, I stormed off. I wasn't watching any more of this game. By the time I got to my car, the guys were filing out of the arena. Buzz walked over to me with his head hung.

"What's the matter with you?" I asked. "Didn't you just win a national title?"

"Yeah, we did. Listen, Mac knows," Buzz replied.

"Knows what?"

"That you kissed Jack O'Callahan. That's probably why Mac pulled what he pulled. I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have told him," Buzz apologized, looking up at me after his speech.

I was speechless, which wasn't normal. Tears blurred my vision and I just couldn't do anything but look at Buzz. That must have been the reason OC mentioned.

"I umm…I gotta go," I said, climbing into my car and driving away.

How was I going to rectify this with Jack? Better yet, how was I going to rectify this with Robbie?


	5. Must Have Been Love, But It's Over Now

Chapter 4

Rob's POV

I arrived at Emily's hotel room before she did. No doubt she was with Jack though. I'll just wait for her to get back, and then I'll question her.

I sat outside her room with a battered copy of _Sports Illustrated_ for ten minutes before I heard the elevator chime, signaling someone's arrival.

"Robbie? What are you doing here?" Emily asked, shock in her voice and her hand over her heart.

"I didn't mean to scare you," I replied innocently. "I thought we could celebrate. I _did_ just win the national title."

"Not in the most noble of ways," I heard her mutter under her breath as she opened her door. She has this oh so cute habit of thinking I don't hear what she says. But trust me, I do.

"So, what do you say we go out with the guys, get drunk, and party into the wee hours of morning?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her thin waist.

"I'm not in the mood to celebrate," Emily replied shortly, as she pulled her curly brown hair into a ponytail before disappearing into the small bathroom that was adjacent to the main room.

"Would this have anything to do with Jack O'Callahan?" I inquired, albeit snidely.

Emily reappeared in a white sports bra and navy blue track pants. She seemed to be rolling my question over in her mind before replying. "Why would my not wanting to celebrate have anything to do with OC?"

"Oh, I don't know. It could have something to do with your make-out session with him," I shot back. Emily tried to hold an icy glare, but her gray eyes betrayed her. Now she just looked like a puppy who ate a shoe and knew she was in trouble for it. It was actually somewhat heartbreaking to see her looking at me that way, but vindicating, as well.

"Where did you hear that?" she asked in a tone so low, viewing audiences would need to crank up the TV volume.

"Buzzy saw you two," I told her, trying to hide the smile that threatened to spread across my face in victory that I got her to admit to…well whatever was going on between her and O'Callahan. "Not gonna deny it?" I added when she didn't respond.

"I'm not gonna lie to you," she finally stated. "I kissed him twice. It wasn't making out; it was just a simple kiss."

"I thought I'd told you to stay away from him, Emily. That guy is nothing but trouble. I mean, look at what he did to me tonight," I said, raising my voice. I know I cheap shotted the guy, but I doubt she did.

"What he did to you?" Emily asked with a scoff. "_He_ didn't do anything to _you._ Looked to me like you purposely rammed into him to get him tossed out of the game."

Now it was my turn to be speechless with guilt. I ran a hand through my short brown hair and made myself as comfortable as one can be on the foot of a bed.

"Okay, uncle," I said with a sigh. "Where does this put us?"

"I don't know," Emily muttered, not resigning her post in front of the window.

"Well, what do _you_ want?" I asked, for the first time becoming afraid of her answer. The temperature in the room actually felt like it was beginning to rise. Did I really want to hear what she wanted?

"I don't know," she reiterated, just as nonchalantly as before. "Maybe I want a break. Maybe I want to break up for good. Maybe I don't want to be a guy who doesn't trust me to be around members of the opposite sex because he's completely lacking in the self-assurance department when it comes to women. So he makes up these ridiculous theories about how other guys will hurt me and drop me on my ass the second some bimbo Barbie doll comes walking along. Thanks for that, by the way."

"I never said that!" I reacted. "I would never say that you're not good enough for other guys."

"I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about this need you have to hang onto things that don't exist anymore. Robbie, I loved you, and might always love you. But it's different now; you're different, I'm different. I just think we'd be better off as friends," Emily said in resignation, as she hung her head in hopes of me not seeing the tears that were beginning to break their barrier and fall.

"So, that's it? We've been together since high school, and that's it. We're just gonna break up?" I asked, hoping that I didn't hear her correctly. I truly wanted to believe I had heard her wrong. I didn't want to lose her. No, I couldn't lose her.

"Yeah, I think that's what I'm saying," Emily replied with a slight nod.


	6. And We Meet Again

Thanks to everyone for your comments on the story! I'm really glad you're liking it.

* * *

Chapter 5

1979

Emily's POV

This was too weird.

Standing in front of the rink where Olympic tryouts would be held for the US hockey team. Herb Brooks had called me about a week ago to ask me if I'd "mind" helping with the team. As what, I don't know, but this was Herb. He'd find something for me to do.

There's just this one small problem. Robbie McClanahan was trying out. I hadn't spoken to him since that night. I wondered if Jack would be here, too. I had heard from him a couple times over the last three years, but I made every attempt to ignore him. I have an entire drawer in my kitchen of unopened letters from him. I guess after Robbie and I broke up I didn't want any memory of Jack.

What the hell was I getting myself into?

* * *

Jack's POV

So, I walked into tryouts, and the first thing I see is this gorgeous girl registering players; shoulder length, straight auburn hair and gray eyes hidden behind small, thin framed, black glasses. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was Emily Morrison. Couldn't be though. McClanahan would never let her hang out around a bunch of hockey playing horndogs.

I waited until it was my turn.

"Number and towel. You're Jack O'Callahan, right?" the girl asked before looking up. She had a look on her face like a deer in headlights. Have I seen her before?

"Last time I checked," I replied, trying to sound cocky, but it came out a bit warily. I walked away, wracking my brain to figure out who this girl was.

As I stepped out onto the ice, I saw this mystery girl again. God, who is she? I could tell McClanahan was just as distracted by her as I was, which pissed me off. He had Emily, right, so why was he checking out some other girl? Three years later and this guy still gets my blood boiling. Trust me, I'll figure out some way of getting back at him.

* * *

Rob's POV

Well, apparently Jack's thinking the same thing I am. My only question is why would Emily be here? Herb knows we broke up back in 76. Maybe he's doing this to torture me. That would definitely work. Throw Emily into the mix, as if Jack O'Callahan didn't hate me enough.

"Okay, that's it for today, boys. Coach Brooks asked that you clean up and meet him on the bleachers in twenty minutes," the Emily look-alike announced.

All the players shuffled off the ice and into the locker rooms. Buzz Schneider and I were the first ones on the bleachers.

"Did you see that girl at registration?" Buzz asked, breaking the silence that had settled upon us.

"Looked a bit like Emily, didn't it?" I replied.

"I'd say it did," Jack O'Callahan said, sitting a couple rows away from us.

"What do you want?" I inquired, turning my full attention to him.

"I'm guessing you and Emma broke up," Jack deduced so observantly. Gee, let's give the boy a cookie!

"Yeah," I grumbled. I didn't want Jack to know that Emily dumped me. I was a little shocked that he didn't know it though. I would have figured she'd run straight to him. After all, he was the reason we broke up in the first place. "I figured you would know that though."

"Why would I know it?" Jack inquired.

"Doesn't matter," I mumbled as Coach Patrick and Doc walked into the arena. I just noticed that the rest of the players were there too.

I looked back at Jack as Coach Patrick read a bunch of names out loud. Why did he look so amused that I wasn't with Emily?

"…Schneider, O'Callahan, McClanahan…" Coach Patrick read.

Huh? Why'd he call my name? Did I make the team? When did the Emily girl get here?

"Congratulations Robbie," Buzz said enthusiastically, shaking my hand.

"Thanks, you too," I replied, never removing my eyes from her.

"Take a good look, gentlemen, because they're the ones getting off easy," Herb stated, coming from out of nowhere. "We're putting a few of you on reserve in case someone gets injured or their game goes to hell. The final roster will have twenty names on it in seven months, so more of you are going home. You give 99 and you'll make my job very, very easy. I'll be your coach, I won't be your friend. If you want one of those, take it up with Doc or Coach Patrick. I'd also like you to meet Emily Morrison. She'll be taking care of team affairs."

And with that he was gone just as quickly as he'd shown up. So it was Emily.

"…You've got some homework to do before you celebrate," Coach Patrick said with a smile, before handing out thick booklets to everyone as they left.

* * *

Emily's POV

Oh yeah, Herb is definitely screwing me over here. Jack and Robbie on the same team is not a good idea, and throwing me in the middle is an even worse idea. I can predict something will definitely go down between them.

"Hey, Emmy," Buzz greeted me happily. It was amazing how excited that boy could get.

"Hey Buzz," I replied, handing him a packet. "This looks fun, doesn't it?"

"Oh yeah, wanna take it for me?" he joked. "We're all going to O'Reilly's tonight to celebrate. You should join us."

"Yeah, I'll think about it, Buzzy," I replied, as he walked away. Now I was staring directly at Jack O'Callahan.

"Hey Emma," he said awkwardly. I never thought I'd see the day Jack O'Callahan was nervous around a girl.

"Hey. Congratulations on making the team…well, so far," I replied sheepishly.

"Yeah, thanks," he said, taking the test from me. "Did you ever get my letters?"

"Maybe we could talk about this later?" I asked, seeing Robbie right behind him.

"Yeah, whatever," Jack answered, shooting Rob a look before walking away.

"Craig, I gotta go," I told the assistant coach, before running after Jack. I didn't even hand the test to Robbie before leaving.

By the time I got the locker room area, Jack was gone. "Guess I'm going to O'Reilly's tonight," I mumbled to myself.


	7. Taking Things Slow

Chapter 6

Jack's POV

This has to be some kind of sick joke. God must be sitting up there with her big book of tricks open to the "How to Screw Over Jack O'Callahan" page. First, I'm on a team with McClanahan, then the girl of my dreams is team manager or whatever the hell of job title is. I'm just gonna get drunk tonight and try to forget about Emily.

"This test is a pain in the ass," Cox whined.

"Listen to this one: A cop pulls you over for speeding, but you know you're not at fault. Do you state your complaint right away?" Dave Silk read from the test. "He's got 300 of these things."

"It's just a test, Silky. You've taken one or two of them before," Rizzo said, trying to make the best of the situation.

"Not to play hockey I haven't," Silk shot back.

"Can you even read, Silky?" Coxie joked, pouring himself another beer.

"I try," was Silk's response, which caused the whole table to laugh.

And then _he_ had to interrupt the good time.

"Hey Rizzo! What's going on?" McClanahan called from across the bar.

"Mac," Rizzo replied uneasily.

I hate that guy. Not sure I've mentioned that so far.

"Easy big guy," Rizzo said in a warning tone. Boy, does he know me well.

"I don't know how you two can sit in the same room as that clown," I said, ignoring my teammate.

"Let it go. It's over," Rizzo warned.

"What's going on here?" Cox asked, completely unaware of what was happening.

"OC's got a little unfinished business over there," Silky explained.

"Not for long I don't," I muttered, which received an angry look from Rizzo.

"Hey what did I tell you man?" Rizzo yelled.

"McClanahan? You're not still going on about the 76 playoffs are you? Oh come on OC that was like three years ago!" Cox exclaimed. No one will ever get understand the magnitude of this "unfinished business."

"You know what Coxie let me ask you a question. Why'd you wanna play college hockey?" I inquired, getting frustrated.

"Isn't it obvious? For the girls!" he joked, which just provoked the anger.

"I'm serious, Coxie. Why'd you wanna play college hockey?" I asked again.

"Cause I love to play hockey. I wanna go to the NHL just like everyone does," he answered.

"Well I wanted to win a national championship. That pansy over there cheap shots me. I get tossed out of the game. He steals the ring right off my finger! How would you feel?" I questioned.

"Everyone was throwin cheap shots that night," Rizzo interjected. Always the pacifist.

"You know Rizzo. It's funny you say that. Cause I was just wondering what side you're on," I shot back. I really hate getting mad at Rizzo, but he's just provoking it now.

"I'm on your side!"

"You know it really seems that way," I spat facetiously. "I'm not doing this right now. I'm out of here," I added, throwing the pen down and getting up.

"Where ya goin?" Rizzo asked, worried that I was about to do something dumb.

"To my room. Is that okay with you, Mother?" I replied, walking away.

As I was walking out the door, I bumped into someone.

"Sorry," I mumbled, then looked to see it was Emily.

"We gotta stop meeting this way," she joked uneasily.

"Yeah, I guess so," I replied.

"Hey Jack, can we talk?" she asked. What was I gonna do? She was blocking the exit.

"Sure, but not here. Too much bad blood," I responded.

"So, where to, Mr. O'Callahan?" Emily asked as we walked to her car.

"You're the Minnesotan. You tell me," I replied. "Keys please."

"Ha, I think not," Emily said with a laugh. "No one, and I mean _no one_, drives my car."

"I hate not driving though," I whined.

"Yeah, that's attractive," she retorted, rolling her eyes. "I'm not gonna kill ya, Jack. Just trust me."

There was something about the way she said that to me. I don't know how to explain it. It sounded sweet and safe, and her eyes sparkled when she said it. I didn't know gray was a sparkly color.

"Fine, I'll trust you," I said, climbing into the passenger seat. "So…what are we talking about?"

"Wanna go to the park? There's a really pretty one overlooking a lake, and you can see the stars. It's really pretty," Emily said, trying to avoid my question.

"Sounds good," I muttered, as we drove on in silence.

She stopped the car and got out, not even waiting for me. She just sat down on a bench near the water. I took a seat next to her, but she moved away a bit.

"Are you okay?" I asked, taking in the way she looked so distant.

"I'm fine," she whispered. "I just really wanted to say I'm sorry."

"What for?" I asked bewilderedly.

"I don't know. I should have called or wrote back or something. I just didn't know what to do after Robbie and I broke up," she explained, her voice starting to quiver. "See, the thing is I'm really great at ruining relationships. I guess I just panicked after Robbie."

"Emma, there's nothing to be sorry about. I wasn't expecting anything," I told her honestly. "May I ask why you and Robbie broke up?"

"He would get so jealous whenever I was around other guys. Ya know like other guys would hurt me or ditch me or something. He wasn't mean about it, just jealous," she explained.

"I would never do that to you," I said softly. This actually caused her to move a little closer to me. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and felt her shiver slightly. "Cold?"

"Just a little breeze off the water. I'm fine," she replied. "What do you say we just take this slowly?"

"I think that's a good idea," I answered before moving in to capture her lips with mine.

"I don't think that's taking it slow," she murmured after pulling away.

"I figured I'd get it out of my system," I replied, mimicking her exact words from the first time I kissed her.


	8. Fighting, Forgiving, and Secrets

_Miss Kitten: Thanks for the constructive criticism. The first couple chapters were supposed to be kinda whirlwindy. To quote Ward Burton, "It's been a whirlpool week." _

_Emador: I think that's a trait all guys have. It's that fear of women drivers. They should really get over that._

_Lia06: I haven't actually decided on the ending yet. I've got about 8 different endings in my head, but I think I can safely promise that she ends up with someone. Who that is I don't know yet._

_Klinoa:All shall be revealed soon. _

_Miraclegirl: Enjoy the chapter! I promise to try to update more often. Damn school gets in the way!_

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Chapter 7

Emily's POV

What am I doing? I can't date Jack O'Callahan. No, wait, scratch that. I _can_ date him…but I shouldn't. See, I wasn't entirely truthful in my explanation to him as to why I disregarded his attempts to contact me. Sure, I did panic after the break up with Robbie, but it was for a completely different reason than merely picking a boy.

"Penny for your thoughts," I heard a soft voice whisper behind me, causing me to snap quickly out of my thoughts. Oh, and almost spill scalding hot coffee on whoever it was. I turned in the arms around my waist to see Jack.

"Hey," I greeted him. "Is it just me, or this an ungodly hour for hockey?"

He glanced quickly at his watch, then replied, "Six AM is not a bad hour for hockey. I'm used to at least four."

"Well, at least I don't have to be out there on the ice at the mercy of the satanic Herb Brooks," I said, relishing in the fact that I could sleep in my office. "I think I'll be in my office if any of you guys need me. Not that you would, though. I'm only around as a glorified secretary. Ya know, book plane tickets, hotels, arrange press. That kind of thing."

"Done rambling?" Jack asked before lowering his lips to mine.

"Jack, we can't do this here," I told him breathlessly, trying to sound scolding. Yeah, that didn't work. "Jack, seriously, it's time to stop."

"Okay, okay. Stopping now," he surrendered. "Come watch practice."

"I might," I replied, untangling myself from his strong arms. He just looked at me like a little lost puppy. Damn him for looking that cute and convincing.

"Please?" he asked, no wait, begged. Damn him!

"Okay, I will. Now get out of here and go get dressed," I gave in, giving him a nice pat on the butt. Ya know, for luck. My eyes are rolling themselves at me for that one.

Who knew a hockey practice could be that action packed? Oh sure it started out kind of boring. Ten cups of coffee wouldn't be able to keep me awake at first.

Mark Johnson was practically skating circles around some of these guys. Eh, you've seen one circle, you've seen them all.

And then it happened.

Herb started yelling about coast-to-coast something or other, which of course was making me think of frequent flier miles. Don't ask. I don't even know. Then, he called for the next line.

Morrow hopped out of the box, but I heard Jack tell him to let him take this one. So Morrow jumped back in the box. Robbie and Jack were on the ice—together. Those two together can't be good. In fact, I imagine being run over by a tractor-trailer would be better than the two of them playing against each other.

Robbie stood there, tapping his stick on the ice and calling for the puck. All of a sudden, Jack smashes into him, sending Robbie to the ice. It almost look like Jack broke him. He just laid there like a lump.

"Tell your boy to keep his head up and he won't have to worry about it," Jack taunted. Oh, those words that Robbie had uttered three years ago just came back and bit him in the ass.

"Let's go!" Robbie yelled and lunged at Jack. Jack's not an idiot. Okay, sometimes he could be, but right now he wasn't. He knew to fight back.

Why isn't Herb or Craig, or even Doc, breaking this up?

Robbie and Jack fell to the ice and the fists just kept on flying. Finally, Rizzo and Buzz had the good sense to pull the two dumbasses apart.

"Does this look like hockey to you boys? Looks like a monkey trying to hump a football," Herb observed. "I don't know. What do you think Craig?"

Craig looked just as confused as I was by that whole football humping monkey comment. He just replied with a simple "Yeah."

"This is not the team for old rivalries… Let's start with some introductions," Herb lectured. I didn't pay attention to most of it, having been seething with anger at Jack. "You. Where you're from. Who are you?"

This was when I tuned back in. Herb was pointing to Robbie, who looked absolutely baffled. Herb knew exactly who he was, so why was he asking?

"Rob McClanahan. St. Paul, Minnesota," he finally answered, sniffling to stop the blood that was slowing spilling from his nose.

"Who do you play for?" Herb asked.

_You, you dumbass! _I screamed in my head. What's with this moronic questioning?

"For you, here at the U," Robbie answered. Baffled just became the understatement of the century.

"Jack?" Herb inquired, obviously done with Rob.

"Jack O'Callahan. Charlestown, Mass. Boston University," he replied unhappily.

"Over here," Herb stated, pointing to Ralph.

"I'm Ralph Cox and I'm from wherever's not gonna get me hit," Coxie answered, producing laughter from everyone.

"Alright, gentlemen. That's it for today," Herb said, skating off the ice.

Jack's POV

Lesson one—never hit your girlfriend's ex, no matter what the reason may be.

The look on Emily's face made me want the beat myself to a bloody pulp. Boy was she gonna be mad at me. I completely forgot she'd been watching. Or maybe I just got too wrapped up in vengeance.

Once Herb was gone, Emily had moved over to the entrance and was examining Robbie's nose.

_Oh god, it's a bloody nose. The boy's not gonna die_, I thought as I walked past her. It was probably better to just not say anything at this point. Give her some cool down time.

"What the hell did you do that for, man?" Rizzo angrily inquired when I got into the locker room.

Geez, you'd think I hit him.

"Why the hell did I do what?" I asked, playing dumb.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Rizzo yelled. "There was no reason for you to pull that."

"Look, I told you last night. I just needed to do that and it'd be done. And now it's done," I replied, throwing my practice jersey on the floor.

"Yeah, it better be done. You'll be lucky if you and Mac don't get kicked off the team," Rizzo spat out, walking to the showers.

Oh shit. I didn't even think about that. Herb didn't seem too mad about the fight. Unless that was a cover. Could that be a cover?

Great! Now Rizzo's got me paranoid. I gotta go talk to Emily. Maybe she can help me clear my head on this.

Walking down the hall to her office was like walking to death row. I knew I was in for an earful, especially since this wasn't the brightest move I've made to date.

I took a deep breath and knocked on her door.

"Come in," she called. Looking up at me, she scowled. "What do you want?"

"Can I apologize?" I asked meekly.

"If you apologize does that mean I have to forgive you?" she shot back.

"I probably don't deserve it," I muttered. God am I starting to sound pathetic or what?

"Yeah, you've hit the nail on the head there, O'Callahan," Emily retorted. "This can't still all be over a game three years ago, could it?"

"Yes, and I realize now that it was the dumbest thing I could do," I replied, moving closer to her desk and kneeling next to her. "I'm so sorry."

"You're not gonna start crying are you?" she asked, giving me a strange look. I must have been doing a good job with the pathetic, remorseful act.

"I'll try to restrain myself," I replied with a small laugh. "Have I convinced you to forgive me yet?"

"No, but keep groveling. You're getting closer to reprieve here," Emily said with a smile. I love that smile. Must remember to never make the smile go away. We'll call that lesson two.

"Is Mac okay?" I questioned. That's gotta earn me some brownie points.

"Yeah, he's fine. He was just being more dramatic about it than he should have. You'd think you cut his arm off or something," Emily responded, rolling her eyes. "Can you say drama queen?"

"I can't believe you just called him a drama queen!" I laughed.

"I just call them like I see them," Emily replied passively. "Look, I've got a little more work to get done. And unless you have no plans of seeing me tonight, you should probably go so I can do it."

"Aye, ma'am," I said, mock saluting her. "Come over to my room when you're done."

"Sounds good. There's something I need to talk to you about anyway," she replied. "Now go!"

What could she want to talk to me about? She better hurry up with that work pretty damn fast. I don't have a good feeling about this.


	9. And Truth Be Told Blue Means

Chapter 8

Emily's POV

_Just tell him the truth._

The words ran through my head like a broken record as I stood outside Jack's door.

_I should knock now. _

My hand did not seem to want to meet the barrier that kept the truth out of Jack's reach.

_Okay, it's now or never._ _Just suck it up and knock on the damn door. _

Before I could knock, the door opened.

"Hey, beautiful," Jack greeted me with a smile. I bet that smile could light up a room. You wouldn't even need a lamp, it's so bright. And he looked good, too. I guess he just got out of the shower. His hair was wet and slicked back, and he was wearing black track pants and a white t-shirt. He was definitely more comfortable than I was.

"Hey, I was just about to knock, but you opened it before I got the chance to," I rambled for no particular reason. _Yeah, just tell him the color of your underwear next. You've told him everything else._

Oh, but I haven't.

"Finish everything?" Jack asked.

"Blue," I blurted out, mentally kicking myself.

"What's blue?" Jack questioned bewilderedly.

"What? Nothing's blue," I covered. Maybe he'd think he was just hearing things. Yeah right, blurting out the color of my underwear could not be construed as a slip of the hearing.

"Are you okay?" Jack inquired. "You seem a little jumpy."

"I'm fine," I replied. "Just got about ninety thousand things running through my head. Hence the reason for my yelling out random colors."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"Yeah, actually. Jack, I wasn't entirely honest with you," I started.

"There was a reason for yelling out blue?" he asked, hopefully joking.

"No, but that's not what I'm talking about. I mean the other night when I told you that the reason I didn't call or write back was just because I was panicked about Robbie," I explained. _This is getting tougher and tougher the longer he looks at me._ "See, the thing is that's only half true."

"What are you getting at?"

"About a week after I broke things off with Robbie, I found out I was pregnant," I told him. You have no idea how good it felt to get that off my chest.

"So you and Robbie have a kid," Jack said. His eyes started to look cloudy.

"Robbie didn't know about it," I defensively replied.

"How could you not tell me you have a kid?" he spat out.

"Jack, would you just listen?" I pleaded. "In my fifth month, I went into extremely premature labor. I…lost the baby, Jack."

"Oh god," he whispered, moving to sit next to me on his bed.

"After that, I felt like it was a punishment. Like this is what I get for have sex before I'm married and for kissing you when I was in a relationship. I just…I couldn't deal with facing you or Robbie after that. I couldn't deal with facing anyone," I told him, breaking down. I felt his hand rub small circles over my back as I held my head in my hands. "Do you know how many times I'd go to Boston and drive past your dorm, hoping to get up the courage to go in and talk to you?"

"Emma, it wasn't a punishment," he said soothingly. I just looked at him and snorted. "Honestly. It just wasn't meant to be."

"Ya know what's funny? I didn't even want it at first, but I completely warmed up to the idea of being a mom. I wanted to be everything to that baby that my own mother wasn't to me. I wanted that baby so badly, and then it was just snatched away from me," I responded through sobs. At that point I just wanted to be in his arms. Who cared if his roommate walked in.

"Trust me, babe, you'll get to be a mom again, and you'll be great," Jack whispered.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," I said into his chest.

"Emma, that was one of those things you needed time on. I wouldn't expect you to have blurted that out that night," Jack replied, tilting my chin up so that our eyes could meet. "There's no need for you to be sorry."

"What ever did I do to deserve you, Jack O'Callahan?" I questioned before kissing him.

"Cheated on McClanahan," he replied after pulling away. "Hell, I didn't even see that coming."

"How could you not see that coming? You kissed me," I said, smacking his arm.

"Yeah, yeah. Semantics, Morrison," Jack retorted, standing up. Holding his hands out to me, I took them and he pulled me up. "Let's get out of here. Go do something fun."

"Fun? What's fun?" I questioned. "Fun does not exist in our world anymore. You've entered the seventh layer of hell by signing on to play for Herb. I'm surprised that three letter word hasn't been erased from your vocabulary."

"Yeah, whatever. Fun. Now," he commanded.

"Aye, aye, Captain Jack," I replied, giving him my best military salute. Thanks, Dad, for that skill.

As we walked out the door, he stopped to ask, "What did blue mean?"

"You're just gonna have to find out," I replied slyly as I walked past him.

Jack's POV

That was a bombshell I wasn't expecting. Who'd have thought Mac would knock his girlfriend up. And better yet, never know it. I can't imagine what it's like to keep that to yourself for three years.

"Hey Jack, what are we doing at the rink?" Emily inquired, staring at the ice like a deer in headlights.

"Oh, well I figured we'd build a fire, roast marshmallows, that kind of thing," I replied facetiously. "I was thinking we could go skating."

"Haha, I don't skate," Emily stated, shaking her head. "I make Bambi look like Dorothy Hamill."

"Bambi the deer?" I asked.

"No, Bambi the blonde who's always in the gym with you guys," she replied straightly, yet equally sarcastic. "Yes, Bambi the deer. Not that I've ever actually seen the movie. My mom wouldn't let us."

"You found out that blonde's name? Bah told me he'd been after that chick for months just to find out her name. How'd you get it?" I questioned. Leave it to Emily to find this kind of thing out though.

"I had a psych class with her sophomore year. She could hardly spell her own name, let alone Freud's," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Well, that's good to know. Now, lace up the skates," I ordered, knowing this witty banter was her way of avoiding the skating.

"I don't know how," she stated.

"You and Mac dated for how long, and you don't know how to lace up a pair of skates," I muttered as I knelt in front of her to tie up the strings.

"You're gonna hold my hand, right?" she asked, as she wobbled over to the ice.

"Yes, I'll hold your hand. You fall, I fall," I reassured her, taking both her hands in mine as she stumbled, getting used to the skates and the ice. "Not bad, Morrison."

"Liar," she grumbled as she almost tripped over her own foot. "Are we done yet?"

"No, we're not done yet. We've gone five feet," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me. This isn't fun," she said, swatting at my arm. Dumb move, because with that, she fell to the ice pulling me down with her.

"Should have held my hand," I chastised. "You'd be upright right now if you didn't let go to hit me."

"Anyone ever tell you you're annoying?" she inquired, pulling herself up with the help of the wall.

"Anyone ever tell you you're difficult?" I shot back, standing up next to her. I took her hands in mine again and tried to get her to skate with me.

"And here I was thinking you'd rather find out what blue meant," Emily said, looking at me with mischief in her gray eyes.

"Well, then it's time to hit the showers," I replied, pulling her off the ice with me.

"OC!" she shrieked. "This is not taking it slow!"

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feedback, per favore! 


	10. Roommates and Revelations

Chapter 9

Rob's POV

Will I ever escape Jack O'Callahan? Looks to me like all signs are pointing to no. In his ever infinite wisdom, Herb decided Jack and I should be roommates. I was perfectly happy rooming with Rizzo. The guy actually made people from Boston seem halfway decent. Herb didn't even tell me I was getting a new roommate until I walked in after practice.

"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded, as I watched Jack stuff a few shirts into the dresser drawer that once housed Rizzo's clothes.

"Coach decided to stick me in a room with you," he muttered unhappily.

"Where's Rizzo staying?" I asked.

"With Jannie in my old room," Jack answered curtly.

Why did I try to talk to this guy?

"Hey Mac," he suddenly said, breaking me from my thoughts.

"What?"

"I just wanted to say sorry," he said quietly, going back to his unpacking.

"And what for, OC?" I inquired snidely. "Beating me up or breaking up me and my girlfriend?"

Ha, that struck a nerve! Jack just scowled, looking like he was trying to sustain his anger.

"I'm not trying to start anything, Mac," OC replied, putting his hands up in a surrender position. "What happened with Emma and me shouldn't have happened. I'll admit that. And beating you up…well, that was just to say thanks for '76."

"Eh, I still got the ring," I mumbled thinking I'd get hit again. OC just laughed. "I guess we're even on that then."

"And Emma?" he asked nervously. Why would he care about Emily?

"First, she hates being called Emma. Second, I haven't even really talked to her in three years," I told him. "What's this?" I asked, holding up a blue balled-up garment that fell to the floor as OC moved his jacket to the closet.

"Oh, it's nothing," he replied, snatching it from my hand, looking rather guilty.

"So, have you talked to Emily?" I asked, trying to find some way to break the awkward silence.

"Umm…just to get my ear chewed off for hitting you," Jack responded, never making eye contact.

I'm starting to get the feeling he's hiding something.

"Hey Mac, let me in!" Rizzo called from the other side of the door.

"Why are you screaming at the door like a crazy person?" I inquired when I opened the door.

"I gotta talk to OC. He got a call," Rizzo replied.

"From who?" Jack piped up.

"A girl," Rizzo answered guardedly. He knows something. I don't know what, but he knows something.

"Did she leave a number?" Jack inquired.

"Yeah, here you go," Rizzo said, handing him a small piece of paper with chicken scratch handwriting on it. "So, who is she, OC?"

"No one," OC grumbled. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"That means she's a dog," Rizzo joked, nudging me in the ribs.

"Poodle or beagle, OC?" I questioned, getting Rizzo to laugh harder. If this guy had milk right now it would have sprayed out his nose.

"Funny," OC muttered, picking up the receiver to call this girl back. "Will you two leave?"

"My room first. I'm not leaving," I stated adamantly.

"Fine, whatever," OC mumbled. Oh, his uneasiness is amusing.

Jack's POV

This is horrible. I have to call Emma back with Mac in the room. Yeah, this'll be fun.

"Hello?" Emily said when she answered.

"I moved," I told her in a hushed tone.

"The duck flies north at night," Emily replied in an equally hushed tone.

"What?"

"I thought we were speaking in code," Emma answered. "So, you moved?"

"Yeah, Herb put Mac and me together," I told her, giving Mac an evil look. This is hell. Thanks god for reopening the book!

"So, come over to my place," Emily suggested. "It might not be a good idea to be sleeping next to Robbie."

"I'm supposed to be bonding with my teammates," I muttered.

"Fine, but if you wake up dead, don't come crying to me," she stated dramatically.

"What? Wake up dead?" I inquired with a loud laugh, which got Mac's attention.

"I don't think you can wake up dead," Mac said to me with a laugh.

"Babe, you can't wake up dead. It's a contradiction of terms. Second, if I'm dead, I won't be able to come crying to you," I explained, trying to quell my laughter. Mac just kept right on laughing.

"Fine, but consider yourself uninvited," she said, mock pouting. "Talk to you tomorrow."

"Baby, don't be mad," I pleaded.

"OC's in the dog house," I heard Mac mutter before I threw a pillow at him.

"I'm not mad. If you'd rather sleep with Robbie, go right ahead. You two would make such a pretty couple," Emily teased.

"I'm not sleeping with Mac. Hell, I could do way better than Mac," I stated.

"You wish, man," Mac replied, throwing the pillow back at me.

"I swear I'll stay over tomorrow night," I told her. "Herb just wants us to all stay in the dorms tonight. Can't disobey the man who's holding my future in his hands."

"I guess you're right. Just behave. I don't want to hear from any of the guys that the reason Mac's not at practice is because he's wearing a toe tag at the city morgue," Emily lectured.

"I'll try to be good," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Talk to you tomorrow."

"Good night, Jack," she said. "Give Mac a kiss for me. You know you want to."

"Down with the girlfriends," I grumbled, hanging up the phone.

"I think I like this girl already," Rob mused.

Oh, if he only knew.

"Hey Mac, let me ask you something. Why'd you and Emma stop talking?" I inquired.

"I don't know," he replied, pensively. "She said she wanted to be friends, but then she just stopped. I didn't see her at school or at the track or anything. I think one of her friends said she transferred to some school in Connecticut. Leave it to Emily to try to get as far away from her parents as she possibly can."

"They don't get along?" I asked.

"Well…she and her dad do. They're two friggin peas in a pod. But her mom is a different story," Rob explained. "I don't think they've ever gotten along."

"Ok, so hypothetical situation," I posed, "What if Emma got pregnant before being married. What would her mom do?"

"My guess, ship her as far away as she possibly can. Ya know, get rid of the mistake," he answered. "Where'd you get that hypothetical from?"

"Oh, it just popped into my head," I told him.

That shed a whole new light on my relationship with Mac's ex-girlfriend.

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Feedback please! Thanks for all the feedback you've given already. I gotta say I didn't think I was gonna do the whole pregnancy thing either, but I figured it would make for some good drama later on. 


	11. Herbies and Kisses

Chapter 10

Emily's POV

"Red line, back. Blue line, back. Far blue line, back. Far red line, back. And you have 45 seconds to do it," Herb announced as he skated back and forth in front of a row of hockey players. "Get used to this drill. You'll be doing it a lot. Why? Because the legs feed the wolf, gentlemen. I can't promise you we'll be the best team at Lake Placid next February. But we will be the best conditioned. That I can promise you."

What does that mean, the legs feed the wolf? And what is so hard about this? Skate from one line to the next. That can't be so bad.

"Again," Herb called, causing Craig to blow the whistle.

Note to self—don't sit so close to Craig when he blows said whistle.

"Ten more, then hit the showers," Herb declared, receiving a chorus of relieved sighs from the guys.

"I don't remember ever seeing these before," I said to Craig after he blew the whistle for the last time.

"Doc said he's never seen Herb like this. Guess he wants it that badly, though," Craig replied.

"Can't…feel…my…legs," Robbie said through panted breaths.

"Suck it up, Mac," Jack told him as he tried to catch his breath. "I got a feeling we'll be doing that a lot."

"I get the feeling these poor guys did not know what they signed themselves up for," I told Craig, who laughed while the players walking past me shot me dirty looks.

As I started to walk towards the locker room, I heard Craig call out, "You might not want to go in there. Don't want to piss off any more of the boys!"

You'd think Craig wouldn't be funny, but he surprises you every once in awhile. I sort of took his advice about not going in. Waiting outside seemed like the better option. I'm not sure who I was waiting for since Jack and I were keeping our relationship a secret, but I waited anyway.

"Hey Emily," Mac greeted in a slightly uneasy tone.

"Hey Robbie. How are your legs?" I asked. Anything to make small talk.

"Not as bad as they'll be tomorrow," he muttered.

"I can imagine. I mean I went skating the other night, and my legs were sore from that. I can't imagine doing that drill Herb had you guys doing," I stated.

"You? Skating? I'm having a really hard time picturing that," Robbie replied with a loud laugh. "What moron put you on ice?"

"It was just with a friend. And I don't think I did all that bad," I said defensively. Just need to not slip and tell him it was with Jack. They actually, surprisingly, seem to be getting along. I don't want to be the killjoy.

"I'm sure it wasn't _that_ bad, but I have to imagine it was entertaining to watch," Robbie responded. "I would have sold front row tickets and popcorn to see that event."

"Are you done making fun of me yet?" I inquired, glancing over his shoulder to see Bah and Pav walk out of the locker room. Thank god it wasn't Jack.

"For now, maybe," he stated. "Just stop giving me ammo."

"This is starting to feel like four years ago," I mumbled.

"Oh come on, you gotta admit we had fun," Robbie said.

"Says who?" I shot back.

"Says me," he replied, moving closer to me. Uncomfortably closer.

"So…are you ready for tomorrow's practice?" I asked, sounding stupid and grammar schoolish.

"We just finished this practice. I'd rather not think about the next one yet," Mac responded, inching closer and closer until I could feel his warm breath on my face.

"Ya know, I missed you the last couple years," he stated.

Then he did something I never would have thought. He kissed me. Right there, outside the locker room. This is not the kind of fun, sneaking around, hoping to get caught kind of feeling that it was with Jack. This is like Mac's gonna die when Jack finds out.

"Robbie, we can't do this," I stated, breaking the kiss.

"Why not?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Because…I'm with Jack," I replied, seeing him walk over.

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a/n: If anyone's interested, I started a fan fiction site s9. Thanks Emador for letting me know it didn't work the first time. If it doesn't work this time, you can go to my profile. The link is on the page. 


	12. Bob and Jack

Chapter 11

Jack's POV

"You okay?" I asked, wrapping my right arm around Emma's shoulders.

"Fine," she replied unconvincingly. She just kept staring at Mac like she was afraid of him. Mac wasn't saying anything, either.

"What's going on here?" I asked, glancing back and forth between the two.

"I didn't know you two were dating," Mac stated, looking like he'd been punched in the gut.

I guess the cat's out of the bag now. I never would have thought Emma would be the one to tell anyone. She was the one who was constantly reminding me to take things slow, and here she is telling her ex-boyfriend that we're dating.

"Yeah, kinda," I told him, shifting my weight from foot to foot. I didn't expect this to be this uncomfortable. I mean, come on, it's Mac. "Sorry, man."

"No, it's fine," he replied, backing away, but never taking his eyes off of Emily. "I'll see you later," he added, walking out the door of the arena.

"Wanna tell me what happened?" I asked, looking at her, while she did everything in her power to avoid my gaze.

"He kissed me," she said in a barely audible whisper.

"What do you mean, he kissed you?" I inquired, trying to keep the anger in my voice at a minimum. I don't want her thinking I'm mad at her. She gets that look on her face, where her gray eyes get squinty and cloudy and her lips almost disappear. Then the waterworks start. I don't want to deal with that now.

"I mean, he kissed me. It was nothing, I swear. It didn't mean anything, and I won't ever do it again," Emily said in a hurry, before getting all squinty and such.

"Baby, it's okay," I comforted, wrapping my arms around her to pull her body close to mine. "I'm not mad…not at you anyway."

"Please don't be mad at Robbie," I heard her muffled voice say, as she soaked my shirt with tears. "Say you promise."

"Cross my heart, hope to die," I stated, kissing the top of her head before letting out a small chuckle.

"Are you laughing at me?" she asked, lifting her head to look at me. Her tear-streaked face tried to hold an offended composure, but she cracked easily.

Now I played offended. "I'm appalled. What ever would give you the impression that I'd ever laugh at you?"

"Umm, the fact that you are laughing at me," she stated, placing a path small kisses up from my chin to my lips.

"Let's get out of here before you go kissing the rest of the team," I joked, walking her towards the door.

"Not funny," she chastised, whacking me in the stomach. Not hard enough to knock the wind out of me, but just enough to get an "ouch" out of me. "That did not hurt."

"Smack yourself in the stomach, and then tell me it didn't hurt," I replied indignantly.

"Big baby," she mumbled as we walked toward her car. "Wanna go back to my place? I'll make dinner, we'll watch a movie, I'll make it up to you for beating you up."

"Okay, first off, you and cooking should be outlawed. Second, it better be _The Treasure of the Sierra Madre_, and third, you did not beat me up," I stated, sliding into the passenger seat.

"_Gone with the Wind,_" Emily declared.

"_Sierra Madre_," I argued.

"No," she said, looking at me as I gave her the puppy dog eyes that she so despises. "Fine, _Sierra Madre_, but I'm cooking," she conceded.

"As long as I'm getting my way, I don't care what we eat," I said.

"I'm holding you to that," she murmured, kissing me deeply.

"Let's skip dinner and the movie and go straight to the making out," I offered.

"Nope, I've never seen this movie. We're watching it," she replied, pulling out of the parking lot.

When we got back to her place, Emily headed straight for the small kitchen off the living room.

"Hmm, what to make," she mused, staring into the refrigerator.

"Emma, you have no food," I observed, moving over to the cabinets. "Coffee and Cheerios. How you don't look like an Ethiopian refugee is beyond me."

"I eat just fine," she stated defensively. "I have an idea. Go get the movie, and when you come back, I'll have dinner ready for you."

"Please tell me dinner involves take-out pizza," I pleaded, picking up her keys from the coffee table.

"Not telling," she replied with a smile, before kissing me and kicking me out.

After half an hour, I got back to her place with the movie. It honestly smelled like something died in her apartment. I so did not want to eat whatever it was she made.

"What is it?" I asked, studying the mess she plopped on the plate.

"Tuna and pasta," she replied.

"And the white stuff?"

"I'm not entirely sure. It's either mayo or sour cream," she told me. Yeah, that's encouraging. "Well, eat."

I picked up a forkful and hesitantly put it in my mouth.

"Chew," she instructed. I did so, trying to keep myself from throwing up. "Swallow."

I don't want to!

I stood up after choking down that mouthful. I walked over to the counter and picked up the phone.

"Who are you calling?" she asked, chewing.

"Mac. I'm gonna ask if he wants you back," I told her.

"Put the damn phone down," she demanded, throwing her napkin at me. "Fine, don't eat it. We'll just watch your movie."

"Oh, thank god!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in praise.

I set up the movie and got comfortable on the couch, pulling Emily close to me when she came in.

"It wasn't really that bad, was it?" she asked, cuddling into my left side.

"I've eaten worse," I replied, as we watched.

Halfway through she fell asleep. There's something about the way girls look when they sleep. Emma was so peaceful looking when she slept. I hated to disturb her when it was over.

"Good nap?" I asked when she opened her eyes.

"Oh, I slept through the whole thing, didn't I?" she asked disappointedly.

"Nah, just the last half," I told her. "Come on, let's go to bed."

"Ya know, Bob looked like a Bob," she said, referring to Tim Holt's character. "Is his real name Bob? He just looks so much like a Bob."

"No, it's Tim. And how do you look like a Bob?" I questioned.

"I don't know, some people just look like a name," she informed me. So weird.

"Do I look like a Jack?" I asked.

"Sometimes," she replied. "Robbie definitely looks like a Robbie. Cox acts like a Ralph, and Johnson is so totally a Mark."

"Good to know," I mumbled, pulling the covers back on the bed.

"You staying tonight?" Emma asked, a grin spreading on her usually angelic face.

"Sure, just make sure you don't 'accidentally' put your panties in my pocket again," I told her, moving in to kiss her.

* * *

_Lia06hope you didn't die! here's the update!_

_darkdestiney2000how's that reaction?_

_Klinoahmm, I'd say Round 3 too._

_meadow567thanks for joining! I didn't think fighting would be a good idea._

_EmadorThanks for pointing that out to me about the link. It still didn't work, but oh well. _


	13. Jack spills the beans

Chapter 12

Rob's POV

I walked out of the arena with about twenty different emotions running rampant. I couldn't decide whether to be angry or hurt or upset or happy with Emily and OC.

"Argh!" I exclaimed, kicking my car tire in frustration. Yep, that's the emotion. Emotion hurts, or maybe it's just my foot that hurts.

"Dude, don't take it out on the car," Bah Harrington said, as he watched me hop on the opposite foot, shaking the pain out of my right one.

"Am I the only one who didn't know OC is dating my ex-girlfriend?" I inquired, moving to sit on the hood near where he was standing.

"I didn't know," Bah replied. "Ask Buzzy. He seems to know everything that's going on. Him, Rizzo, and Coxie get all the good gossip."

"Well, OC would tell Rizzo. They're best friends. Plus, Rizzo'd probably beat it out of OC," I stated. "Rizzo can't stand to not know what's going on."

"I don't think Rizzo would ever beat up anyone, especially OC," Bah responded. "After what he did to you, I don't think anyone's beating up OC."

"Maybe I should repay him for that," I muttered, getting up to unlock the car door.

"Don't even think about it, Mac," Bah warned. "Your ass will definitely be off the team if you and OC get into it again."

"So I won't do it on the ice," I suggested. "But, come on, this guy stole my girl twice. I should get some kind of vindication out of this."

"Don't do this to yourself," Bah said. "You and Emily have both moved on. Just let her and OC be happy."

"And what if I haven't moved on?" I demanded. "What if I want Emily back?"

"I don't think that's gonna happen," Bah voiced what I didn't want to here.

"I'm out of here," I said, climbing into the car and driving away.

I wound up driving home to see my parents that night. If OC was staying in our room, I didn't want to be there.

When I got to the dorms the next morning, I saw Jack sitting on this bed reading a book…of Frost poems. That's an odd sight if I'd ever seen one. Must have gotten that from Emily.

"Hey Mac," he greeted me when he heard me kick my shoes into the wall. "Something wrong?"

"Yeah, you," I snapped. "You couldn't leave it alone that you broke Emily and me up three years ago? You just had to get her to go out with you now?"

"You want me to say I'm sorry for what happened three years ago?" he inquired, his volume raising to the point where anyone on the floor could hear. "Fine, I'm sorry. I really am. Forgive me for thinking you'd be a big enough man to get over this."

"Well, forgive me for not getting over Emily as quickly as you so obviously did, but I loved her since I was 15," I shouted.

"And what, you just expected her to stay with you 'til death do us part'?" he questioned, somewhat facetiously.

"What do you know?" I muttered under my breath.

"What do I know?" he countered. I guess he heard me. "I know more than you think. Hell, I know more than you even know."

"Yeah, I highly doubt that," I spat out. "Please, enlighten me, O'Callahan. What could you possibly know that I don't?"

"Emma was pregnant when you two broke up," he said, lowering his voice. "That's why she left. You said it yourself, if she got pregnant, her mother would ship her off as far away as possible."

So not what I was expecting to hear.

"Mine or yours?" I asked in a whisper.

"Why would it be mine?" he asked.

"I don't know what you two were doing behind my back. For all I know it could be yours," I replied.

"She was about a month pregnant when I met her. She didn't find out until the week after I left," he explained.

"So, what happened? Where's the kid?" I questioned.

"Emma went into a premature labor a few months before she was due. She lost the baby pretty much right away," he answered.

"Why'd she tell you this?" I inquired, finding my anger and resentment toward him once again.

"Because…I don't know, honestly," he replied.

His thoughts and mine were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"I got it," I mumbled, slowly jogging toward the door. "Emily, hi. What are you doing here?"

"Plane tickets," she replied, handing me two manila envelopes. "All your info is in there. Make sure Jack gets his, please."

"Sure thing," I said. "Can we talk?"

"What about?" she asked hesitantly.

"Just come inside," I told her, moving out of her way.

"No bloodshed. That's a good thing," she observed, making herself comfortable on the not-so-comfortable desk chair. "What are you two up to?"

"I was reading," Jack told her proudly. "Then Mac beat up the wall with his shoes and started to yell at me."

"I thought you promised me you wouldn't get mad at Robbie, Jack," she said angrily. This is gonna be good.

"I didn't!" OC said in his own defense. "I was sitting here, all quiet and minding my own business, when he came in and started yelling at me."

"Whatever," Emily muttered. "I'm not talking to you."

"Why me?" Jack asked exasperatedly, but never received an answer.

"Why do you want to talk to me, Rob?" she asked, turning her full attention to me.

"How could you never tell me you were pregnant?" I inquired. A look of shock overcame her face. I saw her shoot Jack a "how could you?" look, before she turned to face me again.

"It doesn't matter, anyway," Emily stated. "I lost the baby. Nothing for you to worry about," she added, slamming the door behind her.

"Smooth," Jack mumbled under his breath.

"Go to hell," I grumbled.

* * *

_Lia06Glad you didn't die! Find the pulse!_

_meadow567That review just made me really really hungry._

_Miraclegirl and KlinoaI decided to try to combine your comments on this chapter. Hope it wasgood!_

_darkdestiney2000Yeah that whole calling the other guy thing actually happened. lol Notmy most shining culinary moment! You'd think an Italian could cook, too._


	14. A Little Healing After Herbies

Chapter 13

Emily's POV

"So, Em, let me ask you something," Silk said, taking his seat next to me on the plane. We were on our way to Norway to play their national team.

"Shoot," I replied, pulling "The Bell Jar" out of my carry-on.

"Why aren't you sitting with OC?" he asked, glancing over at Jack who was seated next to Verchota. Jack actually had a pained look on his face as Verchota talked a mile a minute about something inane.

"Because…I've already gotten to know Jack," I told him. Not a lie by any means, just not the truth in this particular situation. "I thought it would be a good idea to spend some time with you and the other guys."

"If you say so," Silk muttered, but seemed content with the answer.

Every time I got past a couple pages of my book, I'd catch Jack out of the corner of my eye. I hate not talking to him, but I couldn't help but think that I should be mad at him for what happened between him and Robbie. Sure, maybe I jumped to conclusions, but Jack is amazing at provoking people.

"Emily," Herb said, breaking me from my thoughts. "Bench or seat?"

"Chocolate or vanilla?" I asked back.

"What?" he asked, giving me that look like I needed my head examined.

"I thought it was a game," I replied. The look didn't go away, and now Silky was giving it to me too. "Sorry. What was the question?"

"I need to know if you want to sit on the bench with the guys or take a regular seat," Herb repeated.

"Bench is good," I replied, sinking into the seat as Herb walked away.

"Chocolate or vanilla?" Silk inquired, with a hint of mocking in his voice.

"It's a good question," I shot back.

"How does OC put up with you?" Silk muttered, shaking his head.

"Good question," I mumbled, my eyes connecting with Jack's before putting my head back down to read.

When we landed, a good 10 hours later, Herb started making announcements about where to go and what needed to be done.

"Make sure you get your room assignments and schedules from Emily," he stated. "I won't tolerate tardiness or truancy. And any fighting, I will stick your ass on a plane back to the states, and you'll be off this team," he added, glaring at Robbie and Jack who stood next to each other.

"Why does he always single us out?" Robbie asked when Herb walked away.

"I could be wrong, but it could be because you two are the only ones who have fought," I answered, handing him a small envelope that held his room key and itinerary.

"Nah, I doubt that's it," Robbie said, laughing at Jack. Jack just let a small grin creep onto his face that quickly disappeared.

"Still not talking to me?" he asked when I gave handed him his paperwork.

"Anyone seen Strobel?" I inquired, turning away from the dejected hockey player. "He's the only one I haven't given information to."

"Yeah, right here, Emily," Strobel said, coming forward a bit sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Not a problem," I told him with a smile. "Okay, you guys have an hour before you have to be on the ice for practice. Game time is at six sharp, be here half an hour before."

The game wasn't too terrible. Three-three tie. They could have done better. They'll have to do better if they expect to get anywhere at the Games.

"Oh wow, dynamite!" Bah said to Verchota. "Look over there, section 2, four rows up. Blonde."

"Man, they're gorgeous!" Verchota exclaimed.

Herb does not look happy. Sure, he won't say anything to them, but you'd better believe they aren't gonna get away with this kind of behavior. Especially when they're playing the way they are.

"What row?" Buzzy asked. I just wanted to ask why he's checking girls out, what with a wife at home and a baby on the way. But I didn't.

"About seventh row up," Verchota informed him.

"Lovely blonde girls," Bah mused.

"Maybe we can take some home," Silk suggested.

"Must be something in the water," Verchota said, giving me a look like "why don't you look like that?"

Then the buzzer sounded indicating the end of the game.

"Get a whistle," Herb angrily told Craig.

"What's he gonna make them do?" I asked Doc, worry filling my voice.

"I think only Herb knows," he replied, the same amount of concern in his voice.

"Get back on the ice," Craig instructed, much to the chagrin of the players.

"What for?" Bah asked, annoyed.

"You'll find out in a minute. Come on, let's go, back on the ice," Craig said.

Herb walked out to the center and waited for the guys to form around him.

"You guys don't wanna work during the game?" Herb asked, though rhetorically. "Not a problem, we'll work now. Goal line. That one."

The boys, frustrated, skated towards the line Herb pointed to, and lined up for further instructions.

Craig blew the whistle with the nod from Herb, and the players took off doing sprints.

"Hustle!" Herb yelled at Jimmy and Jannie, who took a bit more time due to their heavy padding. "You think you can win on talent alone? Gentlemen, you don't have enough talent to win on talent alone. Again!"

And the whistle blew. Over and over and over again. And all the while, Herb yelled and belittled and reprimanded them.

I looked over and saw Doc talking to the rink manager, then walk across the ice to talk to Herb.

"The rink manager. He wants to clean the ice and then go home," Doc relayed the manager's message.

"Tell him to leave me the keys. I'll lock up," Herb replied. "Again!"

Then we were in total darkness.

"Think we're getting out of here?" voices said, hope swimming in the worn out tone.

"Where do you think you're going?" Herb asked skeptically. "Back on the line."

I could only imagine how they could see the lines, between the pitch black arena, the sweat dripping down their faces, and their sheer exhaustion.

"Again!" was shouted numerous times and the whistle blew with each one. Every time though, you could see the pain in Craig's face at having to put his team through this pain.

"How bout you, Silky, gonna be the first one to quit on me?" Herb taunted. "What about you, OC, you ready to go down? No, I think I got my money on you, Verchota. Course, you have a hot date in an hour, but you're not looking too good for that, are you?"

"How much longer is this gonna go on?" I asked Craig. Looking at these boys was about to reduce me to tears.

"When Herb's got a point to prove, he'll keep going until they get it," Doc replied.

"This cannot be a team of common men, because common men go nowhere. You have to be uncommon. Again," Herb said, more subdued.

Players dropped to the ice, heaving and sweating and out of breath. I doubt they could do much more.

"Herb, this has gone on long enough!" Doc yelled. "Someone's going to get hurt."

"Everyone get on that line," Herb instructed. The boys pulled themselves up using every ounce of strength in their drained bodies. "Come on, Craig, blow the whistle."

And just as he was about to blow it for the umpteenth time, a voice yelled out.

"Mike Eruzione, Winthrop, Massachusetts."

"Who do you play for?" Herb questioned the weary player.

"I play for…The United States…of America."

"That's all Gentlemen," Herb replied, walking off the ice.

Those who could pull themselves up, skated away, leaving other players to Craig, Doc, and me to help off. One by one every player was picked up and walked to the locker room. Jack was last.

"Hey stranger. Need a hand?" I asked, kneeling down next to his hunch over figure, head in hands, trying desperately to catch a breath.

"Thanks," he panted, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I struggled to get him to the locker room. He was tired and limp and had at least sixty pounds on me.

"Okay, come on, sit down," I coaxed, getting him onto the bench. I unlaced his skated, pulled off his jersey and pads, and undressed him until he was in his undergarments. "Wanna shower?"

"Yeah. Wait for me?" he asked, struggling to stand.

"Of course," I replied, sitting down in his vacated seat.

After ten minutes, Jack slowly walked over to his locker with a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Take your time getting dressed. I'll be right outside," I told him, walking out the door. once I got outside, I put my head in my hands and let the tears flow. I'm not sure what I was crying about, but it felt right.

"What's wrong?" a soft voice asked. I looked up to see Jack standing in front of me.

"It's nothing. Let's go back to the hotel."

I walked Jack to his room. God was he in pain.

"Tuck me in?" he asked, sounding like a five year old.

"Fine," I said, rolling my eyes at him. He was just too cute to turn down.

I pulled the sheets back and he laid down, allowing me to pull the covers over him.

"Good night, OC," I said, kissing his forehead.

"What about me?" Morrow asked from the bed next to him.

"Good night, Kenny," I said, kissing his forehead.

"Em, stay tonight," Jack said, catching the back of my shirt.

"I really doubt Kenny wants me in here," I replied uneasily.

"I don't mind," Morrow replied.

Jack held the blanket up welcomingly to allow me access to the bed. I slid in next to him and felt his warm arms wrap around me, and then his lips on mine.

I gotta say, it felt good to fall asleep in his arms again.

* * *

_Lia06: I can't ever find it either. I actually tried to convince the doctor once that I didn't have one. He found it, but I still can't. _

_Emador and Meadow567: Thanks, I'm so glad you're liking it!_

_Miraclegirl: She got over it!_

_killerkeanegirl: hey chica! Thanks for the review._

_Klinoa: I gotta figure out how to make things better between Robbie and Emily. But she and Jack are better now! Or at least for now._


	15. Who Knew I Love You Was So Hard To Say?

Chapter 14

Jack's POV

I watched Emma as she slept that morning. My body was in excruciating pain, but somehow it didn't matter. I had Emma back. Lying next to me, her body pressed as close to me as it could possibly be. I watched her chest rise and fall as she breathed. I watched her closed eyes flutter as she dreamt.

"Hey Jack," Morrow whispered, walking out of the bathroom. "We gotta be on the bus to the airport in an hour."

"Thanks, man," I whispered back. I placed a small kiss on Emily's forehead. "Baby, wake up. We gotta go in an hour."

"No. Need sleep," she mumbled, moving her head into the crook of my neck.

"Em, you're gonna get left in Norway if you don't wake up," I told her, running my hand over her cheek. When my hand got a bit too close to her mouth, she bit me.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" I cried.

"Promise I'll never do it again if you let me have ten more minutes," she replied.

"Fine. Be out of bed by the time I get out of the shower," I instructed, untangling myself from her.

How do you tell someone that you love her? That was the thought that ran through my head as I showered. I couldn't think of how to say I love you to Emily. The last person I said that to was my mom. I've never felt this way about any girl who didn't give me life. But now, Emily was becoming my life. Just have to figure out how to tell her that.

Wrapping a towel around my waist, I exited the bathroom to see Emma sitting on the bed.

"Gonna put on a show for me?" she asked, standing up to walk towards me.

"Like you've never seen it before," I joked, rolling my eyes at her.

"So? That means I can't see it again?" she asked seductively, standing on her toes to wrap her arms around my neck.

"I think it can be arranged," I responded, my voice sounding husky. I enveloped her in my arms before meeting her lips. She quickly deepened the kiss, causing me to lose my breath. Her hands went for the top of the towel in attempts to free it from my waist.

"How much time do we have?" Emily inquired, giving me the chance to catch my breath.

"We gotta be on the bus in half an hour," I told her, fixing the towel. "You want to shower?"

"I don't have enough time," she replied, pulling her room key out of her purse that she'd thrown on the small table in the corner the night before. "I'm gonna go get my stuff together, and I'll meet you back here."

"Okay, pack fast," I said, kissing her softly.

"Don't leave me in Norway," she joked, closing the door behind her.

"I love you," I muttered to no one.

* * *

We arrived home so late that night that I wound up sleeping over at Emily's place.

"Hey babe, you've got a message on the answering machine," I informed her as she threw her bags in her bedroom.

"Play it," she said.

"Emily, it's your mother. Call me back when you've come back from wherever you've run off to this time. BEEP."

"I thought you didn't talk to your mom," I said, propping myself up against the kitchen counter.

"I don't," she replied, looking confused. "I can't imagine why she'd call."

"Crazy idea, I know, but why don't you call her back?" I questioned.

"Yeah, that's like Napoleon's army marching through Russia in the winter," she replied.

"I don't get it, but I don't think I want to," I muttered.

"I'll just call her back in the morning," Emma stated, making her way to the bedroom. "Sleeping over?"

"Yeah, no point in driving back to the dorms. Plus, you don't snore like Mac," I responded. She seemed almost to wince at the mention of his name. My guess is they haven't discussed this whole pregnancy thing yet.

"Okay, well I'm gonna shower first," Emma said.

"Hey, Em?"

"What?"

"I…love you," I told her.

"Wow."

"That's it?" I asked, a little offended that that's all I got.

"It's a good wow," she replied.

"All I'm getting is a wow?" I inquired.

"No, wow," she said. "I love you too," she added, moving to kiss me.

"Marry me," I whispered when we broke apart.


	16. Fred

Chapter 15

Emily's POV

"Wow. Wowie wowie wow," I replied, moving away from Jack.

"Em, please say something other than wow," Jack asked.

"I don't know what to say. I need to call my mom back," I replied, walking into the living room to pick up the phone. I heard Jack's footsteps behind me.

"You said you were gonna call her back tomorrow," he reminded me, taking the receiver from my hand and placing it back on the cradle. "Babe, you don't have to give me an answer now. I know we've only been together a couple months, and this was completely out of the blue."

I couldn't even begin to think straight. How did this happen? I mean, three years ago, I would have told you Robbie and I would get married someday. And then, here comes Jack into my life. This tough on the outside, sweet on the inside kind of guy. Oh god, I just made him sound like a candy bar or something. That's what not thinking straight does to you.

"This is out of the blue from left field," I replied. "Do you really want to get married? To me?" I asked, skeptically.

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't mean it," he told me. His voice was calm. Too calm. Like the way the wind is really calm before a blizzard.

"But I don't clean and I can't cook, the pain of which you've experienced first hand. And I can curse like a sailor on leave and we get mad at each other all the time, and…" I rambled off a list of perfectly good reasons to not marry me before he covered my mouth with his hand.

"Yes, I have noticed this habit of not cleaning, and yes, the cooking was not the most enjoyable experience. But I do love you," he said softly, removing his hand and replacing it with his lips.

"I think I need to sleep on this," I decided, after pulling away from his lips. I stood up and held my hand out to him.

"Still want me to stay here?" he asked cautiously.

"Of course. I like you being here," I told him, placing a small kiss on his lips as we walked to the bedroom.

The next morning I was up early. There's something amazing about watching a person sleep. Jack always wrinkled his nose when he dreamt. And he made the strangest sounds as he slept. It was like a very soft "puh" sound.

As I lay there in his arms, I thought about his proposal. How crazy would I have to be to accept that? Sure, we met three years ago, but we haven't been together longer than three months. It would totally freak my mother out.

Oh damnit! I have to call her back. She should be up by now.

I quietly and deftly slipped out of Jack's arms, and padded over to the door. He rolled over onto his left side, and I was afraid I'd woken him. Boy sleeps like a rock though. A tornado in our bedroom wouldn't wake him up.

I put on a pot of coffee and picked up the phone. My fingers shook as I dialed my parents' number.

"Hello?" my mother's voice said.

"Hi mom," I replied.

"Who is this?" she asked. Are you kidding me?

"It's Emily. What other girl would be calling you mom?" I questioned.

"Well, it's nice of you to call back. I did call three days ago, but with your lifestyle, how could you ever have time to answer a phone," she said facetiously.

"Why'd you call, mom?" I asked, getting annoyed.

"Your brother got married. I just thought I'd let you know," she stated. "We'll be having a little get-together tonight. Feel free to bring a guest."

"Josh got married?" I asked quizzically. "Why didn't someone tell me?"

"Who's on the phone?" Jack's whisper scared the living hell out of me.

"My mother," I mouthed, making the fake gun to the head then pull the trigger motion with my free hand.

"I don't know why he didn't tell you, Emily. Maybe if you checked in with your family every so often, you'd know the goings on," my mother chastised.

"Yeah, maybe, Mom. If only I wasn't entirely ostracized by my family for a mistake I made three years ago," I spat out, feeling tears threaten to fall.

"A mistake? You call getting pregnant a mistake?" she asked, her voice raising.

"Well, it wouldn't answer to Fred, so I had to call it a mistake," I said, furiously swatting at the tears. "Look, I have to get ready for work. I'll see you tonight."

"Be here at seven and dress appropriately," she instructed, in a way too chipper voice that did not fit the conversation.

"Goodbye, mother," I said, slamming the receiver down. I slumped down into the nearest chair, folded my arms in front of me on the table, and cradled my head there.

"Wanna talk about it?" Jack asked, placing a mug of coffee in front of me before comfortingly rubbing my back.

"My only brother got married," I sobbed. "And he didn't think to invite me."

"Oh god, Em, I'm so sorry," he said, pulling me close to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and cried into the collar of his shirt.

"And now I have to go to dinner at my parents' house tonight in celebration of the blessed union," I told him, hoping he'd get the hint that he'd be joining me.

"Want me to come with you, for moral support?" he asked, moving a few curly strands of hair out of my face when I lifted my head.

I got a smart one.

"Yes, please," I told him meekly.


	17. Dinner with the Family

Chapter 16

Emily's POV

I sat in my office that morning looking at the picture of my family that I kept hidden in my desk drawer. I was fifteen when the picture was taken. Fifteen was a good age. Sure, my mom and I haven't gotten along since I was six, but she didn't hate me.

The tears began to flow again, but I didn't notice until I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," I said, trying to keep the sob out of my voice.

"Hey, Em," Robbie greeted me with a smile, but quickly faded to a frown. "What's wrong? Herb said you were looking for me."

"Umm yeah, I did," I replied, dabbing at my eyes with the edge of my sleeve. "Look, I just wanted to say sorry about the whole pregnancy thing. It was wrong of me to not say anything to you."

"No harm, no foul, right?" Robbie said uneasily.

"So…you're not mad?" I asked, finally making eye contact with him.

"Well, yeah, a little," he admitted, sounding hurt. "I mean, what if you'd actually had the baby. Would I have ever found out?"

"I don't…Robbie, I don't know," I told him. "I guess I just never really thought it all the way through."

"You were good at that," I heard him mutter under his breath.

"Hey, I had no one, Robbie," I spat out. "I was completely alone. My family ignored me, didn't want a thing to do with me. My mother had me transfer schools just so I wouldn't tarnish her perfect reputation."

"You had me!" he yelled. "You did, but you threw that away. And over what? Some hook up with O'Callahan that lasted three days."

"Leave Jack out of it," I said, fresh tears threatening to fall. "He didn't get me pregnant. You did."

"Yeah, and you never told me. That's what this comes down to."

"Yes, and I was wrong to not tell you. But you have to understand that I didn't know what to do."

"Oh, come on, Emily. You're a smart girl. Don't give me that bullshit that you didn't know what to do."

"I'm done with this," I said. "I surrender. You win, you're right. I just, I can't do this anymore. Please just leave."

"I'm not leaving just like that, Emily," Robbie stated, not budging from his spot near the door. "We have resolved nothing."

"And we're not going to," I replied. "It doesn't even matter anymore, Rob. What happened, happened. We can't change that, and we obviously can't get over this."

"Just say you would have told me I had a kid," Robbie asked.

"Is that all you want to hear?" I questioned. "Fine, I would have told you."

"Then why didn't you?" he whispered.

"Not this again. Please, I can't keep going in circles with you. It's getting us nowhere."

"Fine. I hope you and Jack have a great life together," Robbie said, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Jack's POV

I, for one, was not looking forward to meeting Emily's family. What would they think of me? What would I think of them? What do you say to people who have completely alienated the girl you love?

"Hey Jack, you wanna drive?" Emma asked a bit absentmindedly as we walked to her car.

"Excuse me?" I said with a laugh. "Miss No One Who Isn't Me May Drive My Car, is gonna let me drive her car? Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied, throwing the keys at me. "Just drive."

"Yes, ma'am," I muttered, climbing behind the wheel.

We drove in relative silence, save for a few directions on when and where to turn. Every so often I caught a glimpse of Emma. She looked worn out as she stared out the side window. When I reached out to hold her hand, she pulled away and made some comment about keeping my eyes on the road.

"This is it," Emily stated, pointing at a large white house. This house was not plain by any means. This was a family that had a nice bank account.

"Wow. It's…big," I replied in awe. "Ever get lost in there?"

"Not that I recall, but I've tried my damnedest to block out most of my childhood," Emily replied, walking to the front door.

"Gonna ring the bell?" I asked as we just kind of stood there on the stoop.

"Ya know, I've been thinking about this," she rambled. "We should really just go home. I mean, I don't want to be here and by the end of the night, you'll be ready to kill me and throw my body in a ditch for bringing you here. So we should just save time and go home."

"Too late," a woman said after opening the door. I guess it was her mother. This lady looked like she got whacked with the grumpy stick. "Well, don't just stand there, Emily. Come inside."

"But it's such a nice night," Emily started.

"Inside. Now," her mother ordered.

Once inside, Mrs. Morrison took our coats and directed us to the living room.

"Hey Daddy," Emily said uneasily. "I'd like you to meet Jack O'Callahan. He's playing hockey for Team USA."

"A hockey player? Again?" the other guy in the room scoffed.

"What a way to make a first impression, Josh," Emily shot back.

"Jack, it's great to meet you," Mr. Morrison said, shaking my hand. "How's Herb treating you boys?"

"He's tough, but he knows what he's doing," I replied.

"How's the exhibition schedule going?" her father inquired. "Emmy was telling me that you guys have a pretty rigorous game schedule."

"Well, Norway sucked, but Thief River was pretty fun," I said with a laugh. "We won and then had to push a plane."

"You did what?" Mrs. Morrison asked, aghast at the thought.

"Well, we kinda sorta hit…a moose," Emily told her.

"You hit a moose? With an airplane?" her dad questioned. "You don't hear that everyday."

"Yeah, and it was raining and cold and Jack was soaked when he got back inside. And, of course, he had to hug up on the girlfriend, thus soaking her," Emily said with a small laugh.

At least she finally smiled.

"So, I hear Rob McClanahan is on the team," Josh spoke up. "That must be awkward, Em."

And the smile disappeared.

"No, it's actually not," Emily said evenly. "I hear you got married to a girl. That must be…awkward."

"Children!" Mr. Morrison yelled, glaring at his son. "Dinner ready yet, Mary?"

"Yes, let's eat," she replied indignantly.

* * *

"I can't believe you never told me you and your dad still talk," I said to Emily, getting into the car.

"Yeah, well, he's still nice to me," she muttered, handing me the keys again.

"Talk to your brother, other than to insinuate his marriage is a sham because he's actually gay?" I questioned.

"No, but my dad said that I wasn't invited due to my mother's suggestion," she explained. "Although, the McClanahan's were invited. I don't know why. When Robbie and I dated, they hated his family."

"To get back at you possibly?" I suggested. "Why didn't Mac tell you about it?"

"We aren't exactly talking at this point, what with your big mouth blabbing about the pregnancy," Emily shot back.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, holding her hand.

"We got into a fight earlier today," she confessed. "Made Hiroshima look like a square dance."

"That bad, huh?"

"Root canals are more fun," she muttered.

"Talk to your mom any?"

"Fought would be a more accurate description," Emily replied. "She doesn't like you. I may have said something I shouldn't have."

"What did you say?" I asked, getting nervous.

"Well, she was rambling about how Jack isn't a name, more like an action performed on a car to get a tire off," she said. "And then, I may have said that we're getting married."

"Does that mean you're accepting my proposal, Miss Morrison?" I asked, hopefully.

"Yeah, I am," she replied, her eyes clouding up with tears. "And then she…she said that she would try to be in town, but made no promises. How do you say that? You're only daughter says she's getting married, and that's the response. That isn't normal."

I was trying so hard to not smile, but I couldn't help it. She actually accepted my marriage proposal.

"Baby, if she's gonna be like that, I don't think I want her there," I told her.

"I don't think I do either," she whispered.


	18. Heart to Heart

Chapter 17

Rob's POV

I can go nowhere without hearing something about OC and Emily. Even today, I walked into the locker room after practice to see a bunch of the guys surrounding OC.

"Yeah, so I got her the ring," OC said, grinning like an idiot. He was holding open a small black, velvet box that housed a silver band with a particularly small diamond in the middle of it.

"What's that for, man?" I asked, making my way into the group.

"OC popped the question to Emily," Verchota replied absentmindedly.

"Wait, you asked Emily to marry you and she said yes?" I asked, slightly outraged. I didn't even stick around to hear OC's answer. I just couldn't deal with this whole situation anymore.

"Mac, wait up," OC called after me, following me to the hallway.

"So, congratulations," I told him. "Good luck trying to get Emily Morrison to stay in one place long enough to actually marry you."

"Look, Mac, I'm sorry. I didn't want you to find out like this," OC replied, actually sounding remorseful.

"Yeah, whatever," I grumbled. I started to walk towards the door until I felt a strong hand clamp down on my shoulder.

"Hey, I'm serious," OC said sternly. "Look, I know you and Emma got into a fight about the baby."

"Yeah, I know. She didn't know how to deal with being pregnant," I said, rolling my eyes. How many more times am I gonna get this lecture? "I'm just warning you, man. She tends to run."

"I'm not giving her anything to be scared of," OC responded in a softened tone. Oh, how naïve this boy could be.

"You don't think she'll be afraid of marriage?" I inquired. "I proposed. About a week before she met you."

"So, what are you saying? She ran to me?" he asked.

"Guess so," I muttered.

We left the arena in silence. OC seemed to be mulling our conversation over and over in his head.

"Are you over her?" he questioned, as we walked to the dorms.

"What? Where did that come from?" I asked, stalling to answer the question that we both knew the answer to.

"Well, they say you never get over your first love," OC replied. "So, I was just wondering if you're over Emma. You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I was just curious."

"Ya know, curiosity killed the cat, O'Callahan," I replied, cracking a smile.

"So I've heard. Fortunately for me, I'm not a cat," he shot back, smiling.

"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled. "And the answer is no."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I guess I just always thought that somehow we'd get back together," I replied, walking into our room. "I thought Herb hiring her was a sign or something. It was the signal I needed to tell me that I was right, and that we'd be able to work things out."

"And then I come along," he interjected.

"Yeah, and then you come along and sweep her off her feet…again," I continued. "I thought 'Well okay, they don't seem too serious. Maybe there's still hope for me.' And then you tell me about the pregnancy thing, and she gets mad at the both of us. Then she tries to talk to me about the pregnancy thing, and we wind up mad at each other. And now, you guys are engaged. I'm beginning to think the cards are not being dealt in my favor."

"I'm not the brightest guy in the world, and I could have told you that," OC joked. "I don't care if you hate me for this, but at least make up with Emma. I think she needs someone from home."

"How did it go with her parents?" I asked, taking in his words. I really did want to hate him, but what he said really made me think.

"Her mother hates me, her brother hates me. Her dad is the only one who's cool," he explained. "According to her mom, Jack isn't a name, but a tool used to lift a car. Her brother kept trying to make us uncomfortable by bringing you up. I didn't know you were invited to his wedding."

"I didn't go," I told him. "I thought Emily would be there, and that would be too difficult. I didn't know that her mom cast her out like a leper. But, yeah, her dad has always been cool. That guy was a hippie before there were hippies. Big sports fan, too. Did he tell you Dale Earnhardt's gonna be rookie of the year?"

"Nope, don't even know who that is," OC replied.

"Oh, he and Em can give you the guy's stats if you're dumb enough to ask for them," I said with a laugh. "The two of them will go on for hours about Richard Petty and Junior Johnson and Darrell Waltrip. You can't shut them up."

"I'd rather not have Emma shut up. I'm usually in trouble when she shuts up."

"Yep, I remember that," I said, nodding fondly. "So, when did you ask?"

"When we got home from Norway," he answered. "She took her time thinking about it, and then told her mom before she told me. Her mother definitely didn't take it well."

"Yeah, I'll bet she asked when Emily was due too," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"I think she said she'd try to be in town, but she's making no promises," OC stated, taking his turn at the eye rolling. "I just don't get how you can hate your own kid that much."

"That's because you come from a loving family. Emily doesn't. She always had her dad in her corner, but her mom worshipped the ground Josh walked on. Never gave Emily a chance."

Just then a knock at the door interrupted our conversation.

"It's open!" OC yelled.

"Hey guys," Emily said, opening the door. "Just dropping off the stuff you'll need for the Harvard game."

"Thanks, Em," I replied when she handed me the envelope. "I wanted to say I'm sorry."

"What for?" she asked, studying my face.

"For the fight the other day. I said some dumb things," I told her. "And I just want you to know that I'm really sorry."

"It's okay, really," she replied, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek. I looked over at OC, expecting him to rip my head off. But he just smiled.

"You're in a good mood," OC said to Emily when she walked over to him.

"What reason would I have to be in a bad mood?" she questioned with a smile. "I found a great café that makes the world's best coffee, I bought a new pair of shoes, my dad called this morning to congratulate me on my engagement, and I've got you."

"You're not getting out of dinner with my folks," OC told her through a grin.

"Damn you, O'Callahan," she muttered with an overdramatic sigh.

"Get over it," he told her. "I got you something."

"Is it a puppy?" she guessed.

"No."

"A kitten."

"It doesn't breathe."

"How about a car?"

"Yeah, because I'm totally made of money."

"Are you gonna tell me what it is then?"

He dug into his pocket and pulled out the box he'd be showing around after practice. He opened it up, and pulled out the small engagement ring.

"I thought you could wear this for now, until I can afford one," OC told her, sliding it onto her thin ring finger. "It was my mother's engagement ring."

"I love it," she replied, kissing him. It was nauseating to watch. "Isn't it beautiful, Robbie?"

She was so transfixed on her ring that I didn't even need to answer. She would have never heard me anyway.

"Looks great on you, Em," I said, trying to force a smile onto my face. "OC, I'm gonna get a bite to eat with Rizzo and Rammer. See ya later."

I walked into the hall, my head hung in defeat.


	19. Meeting the Family

Chapter 18

Jack's POV

We beat Harvard. The game was pretty amazing. It had been so long since my family got a chance to see me play. And leave it to my family to make sure I heard them while I played. Every goal we scored, every goal we saved, every time my skates touched the ice, they were yelling and screaming and whistling encouragingly.

"Hey, Boston Boy, great game," Emily said when I got out of the locker room. I went over to her and scooped her up in a hug.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate it when you call me that?" I asked, kissing her softly.

"Yes. Why do you think I continue to do it?" she countered, kissing me.

"Eww, Mom, Jackie's being gross with a girl," I heard a small boy say in disgust. Emily and I both turned our heads to see my family watching our little public display of affection.

"Hey guys!" I excitedly called, putting Emma down. I hugged my mom first, before picking up my little eight-year old brother, Charlie. "Don't worry, buddy. One day that won't be gross."

"Who's she?" My sister, Katie, asked.

"Hi, I'm Emily Morrison," Emma replied, extending her hand to my parents, which they readily shook.

"So, this is the girl I've heard so much about!" my mother gushed. "Let me look at you. You're so thin."

"Oh, I eat," Emily told her.

"Cook, no. Eat, yes," I muttered.

"And so beautiful!" my mother observed.

"Yes, I feel bad monopolizing so much of the world's possession of beauty," Emily said with a laugh.

"I like this one, Jackie," my mom whispered.

"I like this one too, Mom," I responded.

"I think my ring looks great on you, sweetie," she said to Emily, enveloping her in a hug.

"Thanks for giving it to Jack," Emma replied.

"Well, let's get out of here and go eat," my dad suggested.

"Leave it to these boys to always think with their stomachs," my mom muttered to Emily, despite being loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Wow, Katie and Charlie can talk," Emily said, flopping down on the bed in her hotel room.

"I guess they like you," I replied, sitting down next to her. "They always talk your ear off when they like you."

"Did you tell your mom anything about my mother?" she asked, out of the blue.

"Yeah, why?" I inquired, getting nervous for myself.

"Well, she asked what the deal was with my mom. Ya know, why she was so rude to us and everything," Emma explained. "I didn't know what you told your mom though."

"I told her about the baby," I admitted. She looked a lot less mad that I would have expected. "Was it bad that I told her?"

"Well, she didn't look at me like I'm some cheap slut, so I guess it's not bad," she replied. "She was just so sweet to me all night. It was almost like she was trying to compensate for my lack of a mother."

"Yeah, she likes to do that," I laughed. "I remember my friends couldn't come over without my mom putting out milk and cookies, and making sure they all washed their hands first. Hell, she would tuck them into their sleeping bags."

"Wow, you guys had sleepovers? What's that like?" she questioned. "My mother was so horrible to my friends. They would never come over."

"Well, I don't want to go over their again either," I told her seriously.

"Yes, and I'm such a masochist that I love going there," Emma shot back sarcastically.

"Ya know, I knew it," I joked, kissing her softly before deepening it.

"You don't have to go back to your room tonight, do you?" she asked, as I kissed down the side of her neck.

"I can stay here if you want me to," I replied, moving back to her kiss-swollen lips.

"Good, because there's something we need to talk about," she replied, pulling away.

* * *

_Miraclegirllol I like OC better too!_

_darkdestiney2000That actually happened with my boyfriend, or exboyfriend, or whatever he is to me now._

_meadow567I thought that would be a good idea to show that they can actually stand each other._

_Lia06Yeah, I didn't even think about that whole mom alive or mom dead thing. But I explained it!_

_KlinoaYeah, ya do feel forRobbie. Hewas kinda almost heartbreaking._

_EmadorI had to have Big E in my story somehow. I miss the guy :( At least we have Jr. and Kerry._


	20. The New Guy

Chapter 19

Emily's POV

"Yeah, there's something I wanted to talk about, too," Jack replied, catching me off guard. "I think right after the Games, we should get married. I don't wanna wait. I know we kinda rushed into the whole engagement thing, but I figure we're on the fast track anyway."

"Why? Are you pregnant too?" I muttered. I thought he hadn't heard it, but the look of shock on his face told me he did.

"Preg...pregnant?" he stuttered. "You mean like 'with child'?"

"Yep, like that," I replied, trying to gauge his next response.

"So...then I guess marriage sooner rather than later is the way to go," Jack answered in an almost hushed tone.

"Baby, just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean we have to get married," I told him, trying to maintain my composure. "We could have the baby first then get married."

He scoffed at this oh so crazy idea. "We can't have a kid before we get married," he stated. "My mother would probably drop dead at the thought."

"Well, I don't want that to happen," I said. "But, I don't want to rush into something again just because of this situation."

"I need to think about this," Jack replied, rising from the bed. He picked his coat up from the floor and began to pull it on.

"Jack, don't leave," I pleaded.

"No, I just gotta clear my head a bit," he replied, lightly kissing my cheek before walking out of my room.

Great. Just great.

I seriously thought this was it this time. Now, who knows when he'll talk to me again.

I couldn't sleep that night. The thought of Jack and me not together scared me. The thought of me having to raise a baby on my own terrified me.

The next day I sat in my office, trying my damnedest to get something, anything, done. Whoever knocked at my door obviously had other designs.

"Come in," I called, hoping it was Jack.

"Hi, Herb told me to find Emily Morrison," the blond haired boy in front of me stated. "And I'm really hoping you're her."

"Because he hired me a male stripper?" I asked dryly.

"Umm, no, I don't think so," the boy nervously replied. "Herb just told me to find you. I'm Tim Harrer."

"Oh, you were a Gopher, right?" I asked, not waiting for an answer. "Go the locker room and get changed for practice. I think Herb wants you on the team."

Wow, that was some great BSing on my part. Why is Herb bringing boys in now?

"Thanks, Emily," Tim replied. "See you at practice."

I was actually waiting for the wink after that. I couldn't tell if this kid was trying to be smooth with me or what. But if he blanantly hits on me, I may have to smack him.

A few minutes later, I retreated to the bench to watch the boys warm up.

"Rizzo's makin dinner tonight boys!" Pav announced. "You know we're gettin some meatballs."

"Hey, you keep eatin them, I'll keep makin them," Rizzo stated, received a chorus of laughs from the guys.

God, Jack looks good when he laughs.

"I think you guys are insane to eat that stuff," Bah said to no one in particular. "No offense, Rizzo."

Again the laughter and again the Jack looking hot. I literally had trouble taking my eyes off of him.

"Hey, Emily," Tim greeted as he hopped over the wall and onto the ice. I watched him skate over to Herb and Craig, while the players, each on one knee, glared at Tim and wondered what his purpose was for being here.

"Who the hell is that?" Rizzo asked, mixed emotions filling his voice.

"What's he doin here?" Bah asked, annoyed at this new person intruding on their happy hockey lives.

"Hey Bah, who's that guy?" Jimmy inquired, trying to keep his voice down. Oh, the Irish whisper.

"Timmy Harrer. Plays for the Gophers. He's having a hell of a year," Bah answered.

"What the hell's he doing here?" Jimmy echoed Bah's question from before.

"No idea," was the only answer they got.

Jack shot me a look that could only ask "Did you know about this?"

I shrugged my shoulders and walked away, not wanting to see what this practice would look like.

After a long afternoon of hiding in my office, I walked out to see Timmy exit the locker room.

"Everybody decent in there?" I inquired as we passed one another.

"Yep, see you later," he replied.

"Chick entering! Pull up the pants!" I called, before opening the door.

"Hey Emmy," Buzzy greeted me, kissing my cheek.

"Hey, what's going on with Harrer?" I asked, sitting near, but not next to, Jack.

"Thought you might now," Buzz muttered.

"This is ridiculous," Rammer stated. So, he does speak.

"Don't worry about it, Rammer," Rizzo replied in that calm, cool tone he uses when he's afraid of what may happen. "It'll be all right. Right OC?"

"Herb's not gonna do a damn thing boys. He's just messing with our minds," my cocky fiance replied.

"Oh, you think so, Jack?" Jimmy quipped, getting a smile from Jack.

"Yeah, I do," he replied, the smile broadening.

"Well, we all know Herb made the Olympic team back in '60," Jim started.

"So?" How could Jack _not_ see where this was going?

"So a week before the games, Coach Reilly calls him in his office and sends him home," Jimmy finished.

"What's your point?" Jack questioned. Is he playing dumb or just trying to get a rise out of the goalie?

"My point, Jack is that one week later Herb's home on his couch with his old man watching his team win the gold medal. Come that close and get nothing. He'll do whatever it takes. That's my point."

The boys in the locker room fell silent, all seemingly deep in thought. Jack was first to speak.

"Well, I'm getting out of here. No use sitting around wondering what the hell Herb's gonna do. Em, you coming?"

"Yeah, I'll see you in a minute," I replied.


	21. Talking to the Coach

Chapter 20

Jack's POV

I couldn't help but look at Rizzo as we played the IHL All-Stars. I'm telling you, with all the praise Herb was lauding on Harrer, you'd swear this kid was his love child or something. After every goal Tim scored, Herb was giving him words of encouragement and pats on the back.

Rizzo looked crushed.

We have to do something about this. But what?

The USA pulled in another victory, with the help of an outsider. Do you think we ever got that kind of praise from Herb? Hell no. Never a "good job, guys" or a "nice play, boys."

Nothing.

"Hey, OC, we're gonna talk to Herb tonight," Johnson stated.

"Yeah, so?" I asked, throwing my equipment together in my bag.

"So, you're coming with us," Mac spoke up. "We figure you'll say anything without fear of pissing Herb off."

"Oh, so all you want me for is my big mouth?" I quipped. "Way to make a guy feel loved."

"Don't you have a fiance for that?" Rizzo inquired. I quickly glanced at Mac to see his reaction. His face was just expressionless. I wonder if this whole thing with Emily is killing him?

"Yeah, I'll go with you guys," I conceded.

As we filed onto the bus, Emily at my side, Mac, Rizzo, Johnson and I moved to the side.

"Is this a coup?" Emily inquired, holding onto my hand.

"No, we're just gonna set Herb straight about Tim Harrer," Mac told her, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Think it'll work?" she asked, looking at Rizzo. I guess she had the same fear the rest of us had. No one wanted to lose Rizzo. He was our brother, our leader, our confidante, our cheerleader, and our chaperone all rolled into one.

"I hope so," Rizzo muttered. "Coach Patrick, we need to talk to you."

"What's going on, guys? Mutiny?" Craig asked.

"Could we talk with you and Herb for a couple minutes. Just something that's been on our minds as well as the rest of the teams," Johnson said.

"Yeah, I'll get him," the assistant coach replied, walking toward the bus.

"Let me know how it goes," Emma said, placing a kiss on my cheek before waving to the other three.

A couple minutes later, Herb was standing in front of us, as daunting as if we were standing at Heaven's gate.

"This better take two minutes," Herb stated, unpatiently.

We just stood there, waiting for someone to speak up.

Well, it might as well be me, what with my big mouth.

"This is crazy, Herb, bringing him in this late."

"We've got parents buying tickets. Getting rooms. What are we supposed to tell them? And with one of us going home as it is..." Mac stated, before getting cut off by the now very pissed off coach.

"I guess I don't have to ask where you stand on this do I, Rizzo?"

"This wasn't Rizzo's idea," Mac jumped in to defend Rizzo.

"You want me to say "I'm scared of getting cut?" I'm scared of getting cut. Everyone is," Rizzo spoke up, finding his voice. Albeit a shaky voice.

"We just want it to be fair, Herb," I told him. I don't know what's colderthis weather or Herb's glare.

"Don't try to tell me whats fair. He was right back there with us in Colorado."

"That was six months ago!" Rizzo shouted. Whoa, angry Rizzo!

"And you don't think he's been playing for the last six months?" Herb questioned.

"Not with us he hasn't!" Rizzo countered.

"So?"

"So there's a difference!"

"Like hell there is! All I know is that that kid can flat out play."

"What and we can't?" I asked, getting defensive. Insult whatever you want, but don't insult my playing.

"He's got great vision on the ice..." Herb started.

"That's not the point!" Mac interjected.

"You know what else he's got? He's got the attitude I want on and off the ice, so somebody here better tell me why I shouldn't be giving him a hell of a look," Herb stated, going over the deep end of the irritated pool.

"Because we're a family!" Johnson said, loud enough for Texas to hear.

"What?" Herb asked, as we all looked at Johnson.

"A family," Johnson reiterated in a lower volume.

"And this is the family you want to go to Lake Placid with?" Herb inquired.

"Definitely," I stated, hearing similar responses from the other guys.

"Timmy Harrer can help us, and I'm sending him home," Herb replied. "One more til we get down to twenty. You understand?"

Then he walked away. Can you believe we pulled that off?

We walked onto the bus, trying to keep the wide smiles off our faces. Oh, we probably failed that, but trying is all that matters.

"I'm guessing it went well," Emma said as I took my seat next to her.

"Well, we're a family," I replied, draping my arm around her shoulders as he lay her head on my shoulder.

"Good to know?" she half asked, half said. "Is Tim going home?"

I just nodded, letting my vision hold on him for a brief second.

But now who would get cut?


	22. One Step Forward

Chapter 21

Emily's POV

I hate Christmas time. Jack has a sickening obsession with the damn holiday. If that boy holds one more piece of mistletoe over my head, I may be forced to knee him in the groin.

"Hey, Emma," Buzzy said, wrapping his arms around my shoulders from behind.

"Hey," I replied, turning around to face him. "Big Christmas plans?"

"The guys are doing something the night before," he told me. "Then Christmas is with Gayle. She's pregnant, ya know."

"Yes, I've heard mention of that," I responded. "How's she doing?"

"Well, there's been talk of my getting a vascetomy," Buzz explained, wincing at the thought. "Completely a one sided discussion though. Gayle thinks it's comparable to her 'looking like a whale'."

"Hmm, might be a good idea for Jack," I mumbled.

"Wait a second," he halted me as I tried to walk away. "Are you...?"

I covered his mouth before nodding.

"Don't tell anyone," I warned. "I have to go find my fiancé."

"Looks like he found you first," Jack said, sneaking up behind me. Bastard nearly gave me a heart attack.

"Trying to kill the mother of your child, Mr. O'Callahan?" I chided, kissing him softly on the lips.

"Going before I throw up," Buzz said, moving to the exit of the arena. "See you later, love birds!"

"So, what are we doing for Christmas?" Jack inquired, enveloping me in his arms. I can't think of any place better to be.

"Bah humbug," I muttered, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Scrooge," he whispered. "Don't worry. I'll take care of everything."

"Sounds good to me," I replied. "Are you going with the boys on Christmas Eve to wherever it is they're going?"

"Yeah, we're just going to Doc's place. You're coming too, though," my fiancé informed me.

"Oh, am I?" I asked in mock surprise. "Look at my big, strong fiancé dictating my every move. What's a girl like me to do?"

"Cute, Morrison," he replied rolling his eyes. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

I stood in the doorway between the kitchen and living room with Velta as the boys exchanged the strangest gifts I've ever seen in my life. Never in a million years would my brother think of giving me alien antennae to wear on my head.

"Put em on!" Jack yelled out, causing my vision to focus on Silk holding purplish blue panties that looked all too familiar. My eyes locked with Jack's as he stood up and walked over to me.

"Mac took them," he whispered, placing his palm on the bulge that I called a stomach. "Want me to beat him up?"

"No, it's fine," I said with a sigh, removing his hand from my abdomen to lace our fingers together. "What is that?"

"What's what?" he asked, turning around to see Herb holding a whip. "Oh yeah, that's our gift to Coach."

"Fitting," I mused.

"Have a great Christmas, boys," Herb said, standing up to leave.

"Bye, Coach," the boys waved, sounding a little disappointed. The whole night, Herb seemed to be fitting in with the boys, with his team, his brainchild.

One step forward, ten steps back.

"Let's play some football!" Jack announced, kissing my cheek before grabbing his coat.

"Hat and gloves, OC," I said in a motherly tone that I didn't even know I possessed.

"Oh, come on, none of the other guys are wearing theirs," Jack whined.

"Whining does not become you, O'Callahan," I replied with a smile. "Go have fun."

"Come watch," Rob suggested. He still had a way of looking so sweet that you couldn't turn him down.

"I was gonna help Velta clean up after you slobs," I replied, looking for any excuse to get out of having to go out in the cold.

All I got was twenty-one pairs of puppy dog eyes.

"Go watch the boys, Emily," Velta said, giving me a little shove toward Jack. "Have fun."

The cold air hit like a tidal wave. The guys all ran out onto the huge, snow covered lawn, tackling and taunting one another. I loved the way Robbie and Jack were finally getting along. Herb did right by making those two room together.

I couldn't take my eyes off of him. There was just something captivating about Rob McClanahan. The way his eyes twinkle when he's having fun. The excitement on his face at scoring a touchdown and giving his team the upper hand. The way he laughs at Jack as he's practically slung over his shoulder.

These are not the thoughts I should be having though. Not about Robbie anyway. Maybe this is all just hormones. I can't have feelings for him still.

Can I?


	23. Christmas Presents

The poem is Robert Frost's _Nothing Gold Can Stay_. Alas, I don't own that either.

* * *

Chapter 22

Jack's POV

I woke up on Christmas morning to a cold, empty bed and the sound of a flushing toilet. Emily quietly walked back into the bedroom, obviously under the impression I was still asleep. She pulled my sweatshirt over her head before slipping on a pair of jeans. And then she left.

Pushing the blankets back, I walked out of the room. Emily was rummaging around in the couch cushions for something.

"Emma, something wrong?" I asked, trying not to startle her.

"I can't find my keys," she replied, never lifting her eyes from the search.

"Planning on going somewhere?" I inquired.

No answer.

"Did you…forget to buy me a gift?"

No answer.

"Did Herb call?"

"Jesus, OC, leave me alone," Emily replied, the annoyance effervescing in her voice. Tears began to fill her eyes.

She called me OC. She never called me that, except when we weren't dating. It was always Jack. Now it's OC?

I couldn't speak. I had the words, but not the power to project the words.

She finally found the keys in a coat she'd tossed on a chair the night before. After pulling the coat on, she moved to the door.

"Emma, talk to me," I pleaded, holding onto her arm.

"Just leave me alone," she whispered, wrenching her arm out of my grip and leaving.

I stood there, aghast at what just happened. Moving over to the couch, I reassembled the cushions and plopped down.

My mind was blank. What could I have done to make her mad or upset? The lights on the small Christmas tree caught my eye, and I picked up the small box that I'd place there for her.

Emily's POV

I just let the car take me wherever. There was no set destination in mind. Anywhere but home.

After half an hour of aimless wandering, I arrived at the dorms…and Robbie's door.

"Emily, what are you doing here?" a very sleepy looking Robbie asked after opening the door.

"I needed to talk to you, but I could come back later if this is a bad time," I said hurriedly, trying to hold back tears.

"No, no, come on in," he said, ushering me inside.

I sat down at the edge of his bed with the disarrayed sheets. He always was a wild sleeper. Glancing over at the bed next to his, which I expected to be empty as it was Jack's bed, I saw Christoff in a deep slumber.

"Do I wanna know?" I inquired, pointing to Christoff.

"Nope," Rob replied.

"Sorry I woke you up," I murmured when Robbie sat down next to me.

"Don't worry about it," he replied soothingly. "Did something happen with Jack?"

"Oh, where does that list begin?" I muttered. Damn the tears. Let them fall. "I don't know how people get married and have kids and stay with one person the rest of their lives."

"Ok, calm down, Em," I heard him whisper as he rubbed small circles on my back.

"Can I exchange him?" I asked. "I swear to you he's defective. How can you sleep next to someone who goes 'puh' all night long?"

"I don't think I'm the one you should be talking to about this," Robbie muttered.

"No, you're exactly who I should be talking to about this," I replied, standing up in front of him.

"Emily, does this have anything to do with the baby?" he inquired.

"How'd you know?" I asked, shocked that anyone would know.

"Well, I didn't think you were just getting fat for the fun of it," Rob replied with a small laugh.

"Yeah, I guess it is getting noticeable," I mumbled, sitting back down. "Herb still doesn't know though. I swear, I could give birth on the ice, and he would be oblivious to it."

"Yeah, sounds like Herb," Robbie replied.

"Hey, Rob, I don't know if it's the hormones or what, but I've been having these feelings lately. Feelings that I can't explain because it's been years since I've felt them. I just want to find out if they're real," I told him.

"What kind of feelings?" he asked warily.

"Like for you," I stated, brushing his lips softly with mine.

"Em, what did you do that for?" Robbie asked, pulling away. The look on his face just screamed "Jack's gonna kill me."

"I just wanted to test the feelings," I muttered.

"Did I pass?"

"Failed miserably," I replied, trying to keep the smile off my face.

"Good to know," Robbie said, hugging me. "Now, go home to your fiancé and enjoy Christmas."

"Thanks, Robbie," I replied, kissing his cheek. "Merry Christmas."

I got back to my apartment to see Jack sitting on the floor in front of the couch with a book open.

"Hey," I said awkwardly.

"This Frost guy knows what he's talking about," Jack stated. "Listen to this one:

Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaves a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf…"

"So Eden sank to grief. So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay," I finished, sitting on the couch near him. "I'm sorry, Jack."

"He has a good point with that 'nothing gold can stay' stuff," Jack said, ignoring my apology. "It's true. We didn't stay gold."

"Did you bother to read _Birches_, Jack?" I asked. "Frost wrote that Earth is the right place for love. Does that mean nothing?"

"Emily, whenyou storm out of here on Christmas morning, telling me to leave you alone, how am I supposed to feel?" Jack asked, standing up.

"I'm sorry for that, Jack. I really am," I said. "I just needed to clear my head and figure things out. These last few months have been a whirlwind, and I was confused and hormonal. I just needed to get my head on straight."

"Is it straight?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Definitely straight," I said, looking him in the eye. They went from clouded and hurt to soft and sweet.

"Good," Jack replied, wrapping his arms around my waist and placing a gentle kiss on my lips. "Just next time, talk to me when something's bugging you. You scared the hell out of me."

"At least I made our first Christmas together memorable," I joked. "I mean, how many other girls can you say you remember spending Christmas with?"

"You're definitely the only one who can keep me on my toes, Ms. Morrison," he replied with a chuckle.

"I love you, Jack."

"I love you more, Emily," he said, kissing the tip of my nose. "Here, I got you something."

"What is it?" I asked, unwrapping the small square-shaped gift. It was a small, black velvet box. Inside was the most beautiful ring I've ever seen in my life. A platinum band with a one carat diamond in the middle of two half carat diamonds.

"Do you like it?" he asked, his eyes lit up and glowing brighter than the tree lights.

"Does Aretha command respect? Of course I do," I gushed, allowing him to slip it on my finger. "But, baby, you didn't have to do this. Can you even afford this?"

"Don't worry about that, Emma," he replied, pulling me close to his body. "All that matters is it looks good on you."


	24. Bad News

Chapter 23

Emily's POV

"Come in," I said when I heard a knock at my office door.

"Hey Em," I dejected looking Cox said standing in the doorway. He looked like he'd been crying. A knot started to form in the pit of my stomach. Oh god, he's been cut.

"I just wanted to tell you that Herb needs to talk to you," he told me quietly, his voice sounding ready to crack.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, getting up to move closer to him.

"I don't know. He didn't tell me what he needs to see you about," he replied.

"No, I mean with you," I corrected.

"I got cut," Ralph whispered. "My flight leaves in a couple hours."

"Oh god, Ralph, I'm so sorry," I said, hugging him tightly.

"Had to happen to someone," he conceded, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm gonna miss you most of all, Scarecrow," I whispered in his ear as I tried to hold back tears. "Are you gonna at least come to some of the games?"

"I'll try, but if not, I'll see you at the wedding," Coxie said feigning a smile. "You're gonna name the baby after me, right?"

"Well, it's a girl, but I'll make sure to figure something out," I replied, smiling back.

"I'm gonna go say goodbye to the guys, then I have to pack," he said, walking into the hallway, me following behind. "I'll give you a call when I get home. God knows the team mom has to make sure all her boys are safe."

"Damn straight you're calling me," I replied in a motherly tone. "Have a safe flight," I added, kissing his cheek.

"Emily, I need to talk to you," I heard Herb's voice call. We had stopped right in front of his semi ajar office door.

"Talk to you later," I said to Ralph before going inside.

"Emily, take a seat," Herb instructed, not looking up from his paperwork. I did as told, then he looked up. "I heard from some of the boys that you and OC are engaged."

Which boys?

"Yes, that's right," I told him.

"I thought I'd made it clear that I didn't want any player getting involved with my staff," Herb more said than asked.

"Yes, but," I started.

"You and OC broke my rule," Herb interrupted. "I can't have insubordination among my staff."

"What does that mean?" I asked, getting nervous for Jack's spot on the team.

"I'm sorry to do this, Emily, but I have to let you go," Herb stated. His eyes, his face were completely emotionless.

"What about Jack?" I inquired, afraid to know.

"His roster spot is safe, but I'll be talking to him about this, too," Herb explained.

I inwardly gave a sigh of relief. As long as Jack had nothing to worry about but a stern talking to, I could have cared less about my position on this team.

"Now, you can still come to the Madison Square Garden game," Herb said as kindly as he could.

"Thanks," I muttered. Just as I stood to leave, Herb looked at me for the first time.

"How far are you?"

"How far am I from what?" I asked confused.

"When's the baby due?"

"In about four months," I told him. "We just found out it's a girl."

"Congratulations," Herb quietly replied.

"Thanks," I said, walking out the door.

I called Jack as soon as I got home. My curiosity about whether or not Herb spoke to him yet was getting the better of me.

Twenty minutes after hanging up the phone, Jack arrived at my apartment.

"Hey babe, everything okay?" he asked, softly kissing me.

"Herb decided I was too much of a distraction to you, so he kinda sorta fired me," I explained. "I'm still allowed to go to the MSG game against the Russians, but the Olympics is up in the air."

"You can stay with my folks during the Olympics," he decided. "They won't mind."

"And your mother is going to be alright with this?" I inquired, pointing at the swollen bump that was my stomach.

"She knows already. All she said was she prefers we get married before the baby's born," Jack stated. "You've got nothing to worry about. She's not gonna douse you in holy water to absolve you of your sins."

"Good to know," I mumbled.

"Did you hear about Coxie?" he asked, doing a complete 180 on the subject.

"Yep. He looked so sad when he came to see me," I replied, my conversation with him replaying in my head.

"That had to be tough on him. I mean it's a week before the damn Games, and Herb cuts him of all guys," Jack said, starting to sound angry. He and Coxie had gotten really close over the last seven months. No one wanted to see Cox get cut. Of course they didn't want it to be themselves either.

"Herb was in the same position as Coxie was twenty years ago," I reminded him. "Hopefully he was a little empathetic for him."

"No, I could see Herb saying 'Pack your bags. See ya later,'" Jack bitterly replied.

"Baby, there's no use in getting upset of it. What's done is done. We can't change Herb's decision," I reasoned.

"I guess," he mumbled. "But it's not fair."

"Well, just be glad he didn't cut you too," I stated.

"Meaning?" he asked, bewilderment written on his face.

"Meaning Herb could have cut your ass from the team for 'involvement with the staff' like he did to me."

"So he said my spot is secure?" he asked.

"Yep, definitely secure," I replied.


End file.
